Rise of a Master: Diamond & Pearl
by Reborn Dark Phoenix
Summary: After beating a Legendary but then losing to his old Rival, Ash decides it's time to get serious & grow up. After a break to train & prep himself & his Pokemon, Ash sets his sights on finally winning a League. Get ready Sinnoh because here comes Ash Ketchum! Sure, he didn't expect to be another girl's mentor, but maybe it won't be so bad... Pearlshipping; Smarter & more mature Ash.
1. Something to Think About

_**Disclaimer: Pokémon is trademarked and owned by the Pokémon Company & Nintendo.**_

**REBORN DARK PHOENIX PROUDLY PRESENTS**

**RISE OF A MASTER: DIAMOND & PEARL**

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><p>Chapter 1: Something to Think About<p>

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><p>"We beat the Battle Frontier."<p>

This was something that, before today, no Trainer in the Kanto Region could say to others. The Kanto Battle Frontier, a challenge even more tedious than the Kanto Pokémon League Gym Challenge, was something only the best of Trainers ever had a chance at being offered to challenge. From those few Trainers, fewer still ever got to come face to face with its most powerful Frontier Brain, Pyramid King Brandon...let alone beat him. Indeed, to be able to say that one had taken on and beaten the Kanto Battle Frontier was truly something to marvel at. But of course, no Trainer could ever say those words.

Ash Ketchum, however, had done just that.

The 14 year old had made history by becoming the first Trainer ever to defeat the Kanto Battle Frontier. The fact that he was so young made it even more of an accomplishment. Brendan was the most powerful of all the Frontier Brains, and that was just without his arsenal of Legendaries: Regirock, Regice & Registeel. With these three, he was even more powerful. But that hadn't stopped Ash from being determined to defeat Brandon and win his final symbol. And through his perseverance, he had finally accomplished his goal. The battle was truly one of titanic proportions as Pikachu unleashed everything inside him to bring down that Regice, actually matching it blow for blow as the reinforced battlefield shook and broke beneath their feet. Indeed, he had wowed his Trainer when he used the most powerful Volt Tackle he had performed ever, drawing upon all his electric power. Regice had never stood a chance, even as science and logic dictated the exact opposite. It was clear that Pikachu had surpassed his natural limits & was now on a level of power like never before, matching the level of Charizard in terms of power, it seemed. Being able to face a Legendary and even defeating it, how couldn't he? Because of that battle and that victory, Ash had been ecstatic. He felt as if he could take on the world, and so did Pikachu. They were sure they could. After all, they had beaten the Kanto Battle Frontier!

And yet, none of that mattered at this moment.

Ash stood there, on his side of the makeshift battlefield, staring in shock at the fainted form of Pikachu, courtesy of Gary Oak's Electivire, a Pokémon he had never encountered before.

"Pikachu...I'm so sorry," the 14 year old boy said softly to his faithful Starter, holding him gently. "I really thought we could win." Ash felt bad for losing, but he was also confused. He had just defeated one of the most powerful Trainers in all of Kanto, and he had beaten a Legendary, all just a few days ago. Gary hadn't been a full Trainer in almost two years, so how could they have lost? Pikachu had the power, so...was it him? Did he mess up as a Trainer in that battle?

"Pika..." the Electric Type replied with a smile. It didn't reflect what he was feeling inside of him, though; in fact, his thoughts were mirroring Ash's. Pikachu was shocked beyond belief. Just mere days ago, he had defeated one of the most powerful Pokémon in existence: a Legendary, Regice! Ever since that day, he had felt how much stronger he had become, the results of the intense training that he had with Ash and his pals Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charizard, not counting the last four years of training and battling alongside Ash. He felt the power and strength inside him...so why did he fail in this battle, and against another Electric Type?

"Hey, Ash."

Ash and Pikachu looked to see Gary Oak walking up to them. The slightly older boy hadn't changed a bit from when they had said goodbye after the Silver Conference almost two years ago. He looked a bit older than he really was, and had that slight air of wisdom. Gary looked at his fellow Pallet Trainer, wondering if indeed what he felt he had to tell him was indeed something he had to hear. It was true that Ash had grown as a person and as a Trainer, if mentoring that girl May he had been travelling with according to his Gramps was any indication, but he still had some flaws that he needed to work on, and even though Gary thought they would've been handled by maturity & growth, it seemed not. Not only that, Pikachu had appeared to be struggling in their battle; the small Mouse Pokémon that had felled a Legendary with new power & strength appeared to be struggling to maintain his newfound abilities. It seemed that Ash was simply going on power, and didn't think to train Pikachu in adjusting to his new power. Gary knew that Ash was rash and overconfident, and it had hurt him many times before. Ash was his friend, though, and as his friend, he had to point him in the right direction.

"It's great that you won the Battle Frontier," Gary said as he approached Ash & Pikachu, "but that doesn't mean you can relax. There are all sorts of tough Pokémon in Sinnoh that you don't even know about yet; believe me. And there are even tougher Trainers out there, too. Some just as strong as the Frontier Brains...maybe even stronger. You can't think that just because you beat a Legendary that you're now unbeatable. Pikachu may have had the strength to battle Regice head to head, and he might still retain that new power, but in our battle...it looked as if he was struggling to maintain it. To keep a hold of that kind of power, you both have to train & cultivate it, so that Pikachu gets used to it and can use it whenever. But you just assumed that because you beat a Legendary, you would automatically win. It's because of that overconfidence that Electivire & I beat you. The world is a big place...and overconfidence and rashness won't get you anywhere in it."

Ash stared at his old rival, soaking in his words before looking down at Pikachu. There was nothing he could say to that.

His piece said, Gary voiced his return to Sinnoh. After promising Professor Oak on a progress report as soon as possible once he returned, the young researcher said good-bye to him, Tracy and Delia Ketchum & turned to leave, but he then stopped to give one final glance at Ash, who was still knelt down on the ground, staring intently at Pikachu with what Gary was hoping was a look of intense thought. 'I hope you take what I said to heart, Ashy-Boy,' he thought to himself. With that, he left the Lab grounds, walking off to head back to Sinnoh.

Tracy, Oak and Delia watched the retreating form of Gary for a few seconds more before turning back to Ash. He was now looking off in the direction that Gary had left in, Pikachu still in his arms and still kneeling on the ground. A mess of conflicting thoughts and emotions were swarming through his mind, and the young teen had no idea what to think at all in this situation. Everything that Gary had told him was stuck in his mind now, and the more he repeated those words in his head, the more he thought on them, the more Ash Ketchum realized something.

"Tough Pokémon...and tough Trainers, huh?" Ash said to himself, but just loud enough for his mother, Tracy and Professor Oak to hear. "The world's...a big place, huh?"

Delia looked at her son, her eyes shining with concern for moments before she found a smile creeping onto her face. For as long as her little Ash had been a Pokémon Trainer, she had learned one thing about him: whenever confronted with a challenge, he would meet it head on, no matter what. That was just how Ash was. He was determined to prove he was a great Trainer, one of the best and capable of becoming a Pokémon Master. It was a fire that burned inside of him, never to be quenched or put out. And in this moment, Delia was reminded of when Ash had decided to depart to Hoenn, when he had that fire burning inside of him. It drove him to journey and discover new lands and new Pokémon, and Delia just knew, even if it meant he would be gone the very next day and she wouldn't see her baby for yet another long time, that this same fire would drive him to journey to yet another region and meet even more new people & Pokémon.

"Am I...are we ready for that?"

...

...Ok, Delia Ketchum clearly wasn't expecting to hear THAT.

Without a word, Ash stood up with Pikachu in his arms and with one final glance in the direction that Gary has walked off in, he began walking off. Pikachu, sensing that they wouldn't be heading home just yet, jumped up out of his arms and onto his normal perch on his Trainer's shoulders.

"Ash, where are you going?" Delia called after him, concerned and worried about her son.

"For a walk," Ash replied vaguely. "I just...I just to be alone right now."

"Ash-" his mother tried again as she attempted to follow him, but she was stopped by Professor Oak.

"Let him go, Delia," the Professor replied with a nod of his head. "He has a number of things he needs to think about now, after what Gary told him. He needs to do this alone, though; he's reached a fork in his life's path and he must now choose where & how to go on from here. We can only hope he makes the right decision. This is the first step of the rest of his journey, and it's in his hands." Oak could only hope Ash made the right decisions now. He knew that much of what his grandson had told the boy was true: Ash did rely too much on the high, pride and adrenaline rush of a recent major victory in a battle, such as the one that had just transpired, and his overconfidence & rashness would always cost him. The Professor knew it would take something like this to make Ash see it. 'You need this, my boy,' Oak thought as he, Delia and Tracy watched Ash's slow retreating form. 'I know you'll make the right choices for yourself and your Pokémon.'

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><p><strong>XXX<strong>

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><p><strong>*Route 1, about a mile north of Pallet Town, that night*<strong>

Ash and Pikachu found themselves sitting on a branch high up, staring up in the night sky, taking in the glittering stars. After walking for a good hour out of Pallet Town and onto Route 1, Ash had suddenly climbed this tree and simply sat there staring into the sky, from the afternoon through sunset up to now, where it was probably almost 11pm. In all that time, Ash had been replaying Gary's words over and over in his mind. Gary had told him how overconfident he had been, how he had been still carrying himself on the momentum of his victory over Brandon and the Battle Frontier, and how his rashness in their battle had clouded his judgment, and made him simply rush into the battle head on, not even considering that he'd lose. Gary had pointed out how that overconfidence had basically lost Ash the battle. And after hours of thinking and mulling over those words, Ash had come to one conclusion.

He was right.

Overconfidence...arrogance...call it what you wanted, but it was all the same: it had always been Ash's undoing.

The Whirl Cup: Kingler had thrashed Misty's Poliwhirl around like a ragdoll, and that boosted Ash's confidence, making him think he could win. Psyduck bursting out only made him even more certain of his victory, and he sent in Kingler for the finish...never remembering Psyduck's Psychic moves until too late. His overconfidence then had cost him.

The Silver Conference: after his victory over Gary, he was confident in his abilities, and believed after beating a tough Trainer like Gary that he could fly through the Conference...only to be defeated by Harrison, his Blaziken being just slightly stronger than Charizard. Ash knew that he had not bothered to do any prior strategizing or research; he had simply put his confidence in Charizard and his training in the Charicific Valley, and thought that nothing could stand in the draconic Fire/Flying Type's way. His overconfidence & arrogance then had cost him.

His first battle against Brawly: Ash thought he could simply rely on Taillow's type advantage and with pure power alone, and he thought Brawly a Gym Leader who had no seriousness about him. So he had entered that battle sure of his victory, not even considering that he'd have to use Treecko. And yet, his complete stubbornness and arrogance resulted in numerous injuries for Taillow and Treecko, and thus cost him the match.

The Ever Grande Conference: he had started well, readying himself and his Hoenn team for the opponents they faced. By the time Ash had battled Tyson, he had allowed that same overconfidence to take hold. The battle didn't exact help to deflate his ego, and his was sure that Pikachu would defeat Meowth, never remembering (even though it was mere minutes ago, he scolded himself) the exhausting battle Pikachu had against Tyson's Metagross. Meowth had started fresh while Pikachu had expended a good chunk of energy. Ash had forgotten, and it had cost him, resulting in yet another Top 8 position.

His first battle with Annabel: he thought he could plow through with sheer power and yet Corphish, Tauros and Pikachu had been thrashed completely, without even getting to Annabel's Espeon. Having five Symbols made him overconfident, and it cost him.

His final battle with Brandon: Charizard should've won that battle against Dusclops. Ash knew that; he should have! And he was doing such a great job, too. But that had turned against Ash's favor, and in the heat of the battle, when he was sure he'd win the round, Ash made the mistake to call for Seismic Toss, and from there, it went downhill. His overconfidence blinded him to the simplest of mistakes.

They were among the most memorable battles Ash could remember that he had lost or messed up on thanks to his overconfidence and arrogance. There were others, he knew, and there were some that he had probably forgotten about...his first year, as he journeyed through Kanto the first time, that was a time he could excuse himself due to him being only 10 and just starting out, and maybe also during his year trekking the Orange Islands. But Johto and Hoenn and his second trek in Kanto...there were so many times where things could've ended differently in battle and yet he himself screwed it all up. That was all on him.

"Hey Pikachu," he said, finally speaking for the first time since he left Pallet. Pikachu didn't respond, and looking down, Ash saw that the Electric Type had fallen asleep. At that, the 14 year old couldn't help but smile; he guessed he had been here for quite a while, and Pikachu definitely must've gotten sleepy from the inactivity involved in just laying on Ash's lap the last...many hours. Ash gently nudged at the mouse's side, soon awaking him.

"Pi?" the Mouse Pokémon said sleepily as he looked up at Ash. Then he realized that they were still on the tree they had been when he had fallen asleep. "Pika Pikapi?"

"Yeah, we're still here, buddy," Ash smiled. He then frowned, though, surprising Pikachu. "Hey Pikachu, I'm sorry about what happened in our battle with Gary. He was right: I was so sure we'd win simply because we beat Brandon and his Regice. I just rushed in, and my overconfidence cost us the battle. It was my fault, and I'm sorry."

"Pikapi, Pikachu Pika Pika Pika Chu Pi," Pikachu replied, patting his Trainer's arm with his paw. He held no ill will to Ash in regards to that battle, and he never would. Sure, his pride was hurt because he lost to some Pokémon he'd never heard of after beating a Legendary, but he knew that Ash meant all the best, and would never do anything to purposely get him to lose.

"Thanks, buddy," Ash replied as he scratched his Starter behind the ears, earning Pikachu's trademark "Chaaa..." Ash then looked up to the sky, taking in the awesomeness that was the stars glistening in the night. Pikachu followed his gaze, and the two best friends stared off into the heavens for another few minutes before Ash spoke again. "You know, buddy, after what Gary said, I realize that he was right, and not just for our battle today. I can think of a bunch of times I rushed into a battle thinking we'd win, just to end up losing to someone thanks to me missing a little detail or just being overconfident. The Whirl Cup, the Silver Conference, our first battle with Annabel...I never thought to strategize or think things through, and if I did, it was only because of those losses. And then I'd just leave those strategies behind as we move on, and I ended up forgetting crucial lessons I learned. Hell, even Drake warned me about this remember, and I forgot both it and his other piece of advice: put my entire focus on the battle. Wow...I've really messed up on a lot of occasions, huh, buddy?"

"Pikachu," Pikachu replied. He had honestly never thought about it himself, but now that he thought back about it, what Ash said was true. He would always revert back to his original style of battling, forgetting the training he'd implement for specific battles. Ash's overconfidence had also cost them a number of times, one of the most prominent times being their defeat against Tyson and Meowth in the Ever Grande Conference. Although, some of the fault rested on Pikachu's shoulders too in that matter: after so many years of sending Team Rocket blasting off, he was sure he'd do the same to Tyson's Meowth.

"Yeah, I've never stuck to anything I come up with for long after the specific battle I use said strategy for," Ash continued as he kept his gaze onto the sky. "I always wing it and go on with pure strength...and a lot of my Pokémon, thinking about it, don't have the power to back up the skill. But...I guess that is kind of my fault, after all. I haven't trained with or used a lot of our friends in battles in quite a long time, huh?"

"Pika," Pikachu replied after a moment's thought. That was true: in the last two years, he had only seen Kingler and Muk three times. Noctowl and Cyndaquil, not since they came back from Hoenn after the Ever Grande Conference. And that was just four of his friends he could think of right now.

"I wonder," Ash said quietly but loud enough for Pikachu to hear, "if I had rotated and trained all my Pokémon to get ready for the Ever Grande Conference, and not just have depended on you and Sceptile and Corphish, Swellow, Glalie and Torkoal...could we've had a better chance of winning the tournament? Would it have been us instead of Tyson winning the Conference?"

"Pikapi," Pikachu said, gaining Ash's attention. "Pika Pika Pi Pi Chu Pikachupi Ka Chu," the Electric Type said, shaking his head all the while.

Ash looked at him for a few moments before smiling and scratching him behind the ears. "Yeah, you're right, buddy. There's no use dwelling in the past or in what could've been. What matters now is what happens next, and where we go from here. But no matter what, though, there's definitely one thing that I know is certain: I got to start training harder than ever, and use everything I've learned-techniques, specific strategies, any lessons I learned along my way, and different battle styles. Gary's right, Pikachu; out there, not just in Sinnoh but all over the world, there are tough Trainers and Pokémon, and one day we'll be meeting and battling them. And when that happens, we'll have both the power AND the skill and strategy we need to beat them. We'll train harder than ever, us and the rest of our friends, and we'll be ready for whatever comes at us."

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu said with determination, pumping his fist. Ash smiled at his best friend's determination.

"We'll do things differently this time. Instead of just rushing into another journey, we're going to prepare. For the next few weeks, buddy, maybe for even a month, we're going to stay here and train as much as we can. We'll get stronger, all of us together. I'll call Liza to see if she can send back Charizard for then, and Officer Jenny in Vermillion for Squirtle too. Hey, maybe I can even call up Anthony and see if Primeape is willing to come back and travel with us again! I have more experience with Fighting types now, thanks to Heracross and watching May raise Blaziken since he was a Combusken." At those words, a thoughtful expression came up across Ash's face, soon followed by a frown. "Wow...I haven't thought to ever visit or check up on Primeape after all these years. I feel terrible about that."

"Pika Pikachu Pikapi," Pikachu said with a smile, again patting Ash's arm comfortingly.

"Yeah, you're right," Ash replied, a smile coming back. "Better late than never." At that, though, something else crossed his mind. "Hey, Pikachu? Gary said that in our battle you looked like you were struggling to maintain the power and strength you gained from battling Regice. I remember hearing Professor Oak saying that both your and Electivire's Thunderbolt were even, too. Is it true, were you having trouble keeping up with your power increase?"

"Pi... Pika...Pika-Pika," Pikachu stammered in surprise before sighing and lowering his head while muttering, "Pikachu..." He didn't want to admit it, but it was true. He may not have felt it when performing in the Terracotta Contest, or the times he sent Team Rocket blasting off between their battle with Brandon and their battle with Gary, but in that battle he did indeed feel like he couldn't maintain the control he had in battling Regice. Perhaps then it had been the sheer determination, rush and adrenaline that came with battling a Legendary that allowed him to keep a firm grip on that newfound power. But against Electivire, Pikachu found himself unable to keep a hold on that power. His grip kept getting lost, and he couldn't maintain that new level, thus finding himself forced to keep within the natural limits he had. While his own natural limits actually greatly surpassed the natural limits of a regular Pikachu, finding himself in that situation really hurt Pikachu's pride and battle spirit.

"Hey, buddy, don't feel bad," Ash said comfortingly as he scratched his partner behind the ears. "It wasn't your fault. I should've known better and started training you to handle that new power. Don't worry, that'll be one thing we definitely will be working on. I'll have Charizard help you out, too."

"Pika Pikachu," the Electric Type replied, his battle spirit returning.

"So then, what do you think about about my plan, Pikachu? Ready to do a lot of training and learning?"

"Pikachu!"

"Awesome," the raven haired teen smiled. He found his gaze returning to the stars in the heavens, and Pikachu followed suit. "After that, we'll start another journey, and this time, it'll be different. We'll win the next League for sure."

"Pika?"

"Where to next? Hmm...why not Sinnoh? Gary said lots of tough Trainers and Pokémon are out there."

"Pika? Pikachu..."

"Hmm...think we'll have what it takes?"

Trainer and Pokémon stared off into the night sky, wondering. Suddenly, Pikachu noticed something moving in the heavens, a golden something. Quickly getting his Trainer's attention, Pikachu pointed off in the distance, directly at the golden figure that was flying the skies.

"Ho-Oh," Ash said and awe and wonder. The two followed the Legendary's disappearing form as she flew off into the distance, but not before they heard the echoes of her majestic and powerful cry. At that, Ash smiled with determination and found that his mind was set. "That settles it. We're going to Sinnoh, buddy."

"Pikachu," replied Pikachu with his fist pumped.

"C'mon, let's head back home. Mom and the others must be worried about us." With that, both of them jumped off the tree and back onto the ground. After another hour, the two finally arrived at Pallet Town. Walking on, they came up to Professor Oak's Lab, and the fence that served as the border between the massive meadow that served as Oak's corral, and the rest of Pallet Town. Ash stopped at the fence, thinking about something. "Hey Pikachu, you think the others might still be up?"

"Pikachu," came the reply as Pikachu shrugged his shoulders.

"Hmm, well Noctowl might be." After another few moments, he made his choice. "Let's go see," Ash decided before jumping over the fence and walking on through the Corral for a few minutes, searching for his other Pokémon.

"Towwlll," came a bird-like cry all too familiar to Ash.

"Hey Noctowl," Ash greeted as the Shiny colored Owl Pokémon flew down to him, happy to see her Trainer again. Pikachu also voiced his greeting to which Noctowl happily responded. "How've you been doing?"

"Noctowl," the Normal/Flying type responded with a happy chirp.

"Hey, any chance you know where the others are?" Ash asked. Noctowl nodded and beckoned at the both of them to follow her. After a few more minutes, Noctowl stopped flying at landed near some trees which sheltered a group of sleeping Pokémon that Ash had been through thick and thin with on a number of occasions. He smiled as he and Pikachu came closer, with Noctowl giving a few shrills and cries to wake up the others. Naturally, this didn't bode well with them, and they woke up rather annoyed and grumpy, their anger at Noctowl for waking them up evident until they saw their Trainer.

"Hey guys," Ash said as he approached them. "Good to see you all again."

At that, Bulbasaur, Muk, Snorlax, Kingler, the 30 Tauros, Heracross, Bayleef, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Torkoal and Glalie responded happily yet sleepy-like as Ash sat down with them. Donphan, Sceptile, Swellow, Corphish and Aipom, even though they had seen him only hours before, also greeted their Trainer happily.

"Guys, I know that I have been neglecting to train and spend time with many of you, and for that I'm really sorry," Ash said with a sad smile. Indeed, even a pang of guilt had found its way into his heart right now as he had seen how happy his Pokémon had been to see him, even after all this time and even in the dead of night. Even with that, they still loved him, and he loved them. "But that is going to change. Starting tomorrow, we're going to start training harder than ever before, and the next time I go off to compete in a League, we'll all win together and with whatever new friends we make along the way. I promise all of you, things are going to be different from here on out, and no matter what happens, I know that we can make it through...together. What do you say, are you guys in?"

Even in their sleepiness, Ash's Pokémon couldn't help but give cries and cheers of joy and determination. They all wanted to do their best for Ash, and if he was going to be serious and step up his game, then so would they. They would give him 120% of their effort, because they wanted to prove to him that they were ready and willing to take on all challenges that come their way. Ash was right: whatever may come, they'd go through it together, as friends...as family.

"Awesome," Ash grinned before suddenly being overtaken by a yawn. "Wow...suddenly got a bit sleepy," he chuckled. "Don't think I could make it back in...you know what? You guys mind if I spent the night here with you?"

His Pokémon responded with joy and they all tiresomely but happily accommodated room for him in their group. Snorlax laid himself down to allow Ash to rest his head on his body. Bulbasaur, Cyndaquil, Aipom and Totodile came over and snuggled with Ash and Pikachu. Bayleef rested her head on his legs as she made herself comfortable next to him. Swellow and Noctowl perched themselves at Ash's sides while Corphish and Kingler laid themselves next to him as well. Donphan curled himself up at Ash's feet, and Torkoal laid himself near Ash next to Bayleef. Glalie rested his head/body on the other side of Ash's legs, across from Bayleef. Muk let himself rest on Ash's right side. Heracross & Sceptile lay themselves each right next to Ash in sitting positions, leaning on Snorlax as he was. And the Tauros herd circled themselves around their Trainer and the other Pokémon, each of them resting their head in his direction.

"Thanks guys," Ash sleepily said with a grin. "You're the best. Guess it's time to hit the sack now. Goodnight, everyone." They all sleepily said their goodnights before quickly returning to sleep, even Noctowl since she wanted to be wide awake for the training that would start tomorrow. Ash gave one more smile before he drifted off to sleep, muttering, "Things are going to be different...just watch, guys..."

Coincidentally, the group had been sleeping not far from Oak's Lab building, and the Professor had seen the whole thing from his window, smiling all the way. Although he couldn't hear what had been said, Oak just knew that Ash had decided to make some changes, and that from tomorrow onwards, things were going to change drastically. "I'm proud of you, my boy," Oak said to himself with a smile. With that, he went to call Delia to alert her that her son was alright and was going to be spending the night with his other family.

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><p><em><strong>XXXXX-AN-XXXXX**_

_**Hey everyone and welcome to my all new story, Rise of A Master: Diamond & Pearl. Whether you're a regular reader of my work or just found this story and therefore my corner of FanFiction for the first time, I aim to give you all a great story. I'll be drawing some inspiration from Sinnoh Revamped by Analon, The Reason Revised by Jay1414, On Brave Mountains We Conquer by MothBallz, and Working Sinnoh with Skill by 0 Jordinio 0. However, I will be making this my own original retelling, so while I do draw some inspiration from those stories, there will be vast changes and original concepts on my part.**_

_**Anyways, another reason I decided to write this is because I am a huge Pearlshipping fan, and unfortunately there are very few Pearlshipping stories of good quality out there...or very few good quality Pokémon stories at all. Don't get me wrong, there are a number of one-shots out there that are well written, but in terms of chapter length stories, good quality is few and far between. Seriously, when did the fandom of awe-inspiring creatures of nature bending power and the humans that commanded them become about some fangirl's high school fantasies?! I want to see titanic battles of earth shaking proportions dammit! Pokémon is about TRAINERS AND THEIR JOURNEYS AND POKÉMON!**_

_**But yeah, not that many good Pearlshipping stories out there, so I'm doing something about that with this story.**_

_**Now in regards to Ash in this story, I will aim to be showing how he's maturing and growing up, but yet still retain Ash's character that we're used to. In terms of aura...he'll be using it, but not like on the level of an Aura Guardian or how he did in Movie 8. When the Aura Sphere Riolu makes his appearance, I'll be delving more into it. In terms of battle strength, I won't be making Ash unbeatable & win every battle, but Trainers he was slaughtered by in the anime will find he won't be such a pushover here (J...). Also, Brock isn't travelling with Ash & Dawn, but he will appear in the LOTV Conference, meaning Ash will be more knowledgeable on Pokémon care & outdoor survival...while still screwing up once in a while.**_

_**Now to the main point: his Pokémon. Yes, Ash will be catching more Pokémon here than in canon, and he'll be relying on his older ones more and thus will rotate his team plenty. Old faces will return like Pidgeot, Primeape and maybe even Larvitar! Now, I won't be making Ash's older Pokémon uber powerful like some authors do, since I personally feel that after about 2 years of much inactivity they'd be a bit rusty, but they all will be stronger than depicted in the anime, and will keep getting stronger. At this time, only Pikachu and Charizard and Sceptile (maybe Torkoal after his battle with Registeel) are at the level to stand with some Legendaries & can easily give an Elite 4/Champion a run for their money, with Pikachu (at the moment) struggling to maintain his newfound strength. I'd imagine that such a little guy like Pikachu doesn't just get super pumped just like that; his body should need to adjust, as Charizard did with intense training in the Charicific Valley. (Let me say now that I understand why a lot of authors do that, and I get it; this is just my personal opinion) This will all change over the course of their Sinnoh journey; don't worry, by the time Ash gets to Sinnoh, Pikachu will be at the power level he should be (lose to a beginner Snivy...*grumbles*). When it comes to his Sinnoh catches, Ash will get his canon team with other additions. I've already thought about & decided on some like Aura Sphere Riolu, that Hippopotas that kept getting lost, and Croagunk since Brock won't be around, but I am still going through some other options too.**_

_**In regards to Ash obtaining any Legendaries...there's only one Legendary amongst them all I'd ever let Ash have in a story. It'll be highly likely said Legendary will show up here. I probably won't give him another one, expect for that one. Any guesses to what Legendary it is?**_

_**As for Dawn, her catches will be her canon Pokémon and she'll also receive other Pokémon as well. I am still thinking about what else to give her, so some suggestions would be appreciated. Keep in mind she's still just starting out.**_

_**Pokémon will also know a maximum of 13 moves in this story...unless they're Legendary, then their move pool is unlimited.**_

_**And as for the Pearlshipping itself...I want to make sure it goes at a believable pace, not too fast or anything. I'll be taking it as comfortable and believable a pace as I can. I do want, however, to have them together by the end of the Wallace Cup. Along the way, though, there will be moments that just scream fluff and bring them closer together, lightly or heavily...if that makes sense...**_

_**Ok, I think that's all for now. Any questions, leave them in a review or a PM and I'll respond in a PM. Thanks for reading and be sure to leave a review! Next update coming soon, so until next time.**_


	2. Setting the Foundations of a Journey!

_**Hey, everyone & welcome back :D I'd like to start off by saying thank you to all of you-seriously, I didn't expect to see such a big turnout in terms of reviews, favorites & follows. I haven't had a story this popular right off the bat since I started my Spider-Man/Scarlet Witch pairing story. I also thank everyone who expressed their support and enjoyment, as well as providing advice, feedback and suggestions on story direction. It really helps me do better and present the characters as they really are.**_

_**Something I forgot to mention last time was in regards to Ash & Dawn's ages. At the moment Ash is 14, soon to be 15. He'll turn 15 by the time he heads off for Sinnoh. In my personal opinion, he's spent a year journeying each region/area he's been to: he was 10 when he journeyed Kanto the first time, 11 when he journeyed the Orange Islands, 12 for Johto, etc etc. Now, I find it personally a bit weird that 10yr olds can travel the world with creatures that can easily destroy cities, so Dawn will be 14 when she starts her journey. This will be explained in future chapters.**_

_**Ok so, on with the story!**_

_**Oh and I apologize in advanced for the length, being we're only on Chapter 2...**_

_**Disclaimer: Still don't own Pokemon.**_

* * *

><p>Chapter 2: Setting the Foundation of a Journey!<p>

* * *

><p>Ash learned something about his Pokémon the following morning: they all tended to wake up earlier than he himself was accustomed to. One would think that they would reflect their Trainer in terms of sleep, but it seemed not to be so. Even Snorlax woke up early, something Ash learned the hard way when the Sleeping Pokémon got up and lumbered off, prompting Ash to fall head first onto the ground.<p>

"AHH!" the teen yelled as he shot back up, his head aching from the sudden bout of pain now coursing through his head. "What the heck was that for?!" he exclaimed as he rapidly spun his head in various directions, seeing all his Pokémon except Pikachu getting up and dashing off towards a familiar Pokémon Watcher who was bringing a cart of food. At the sight, Ash chuckled; on second thought, the Pokémon were still like him in the sense of waking up whenever breakfast was ready. Getting up with a few stretches, the teen followed his Starter, now following the others to the PokéFood, to see Tracy. "Morning, Tracy."

"Morning, Ash," the older teen replied with a smile. "The Professor told me you were out here."

"Yeah, I decided to camp out with the gang," Ash replied with a smile. "I haven't been spending much time with a lot of them, but that's all going to change starting today! Last night, I made them a promise that we'd get stronger together, so that when I head off to Sinnoh, we'll definitely win for sure!" He grabbed some PokéFood and began feeding Bayleef, Noctowl and some of his Tauros. "We'll definitely win this time for sure, and we'll do it together," he added, determination dripping from his voice.

"Sounds like a plan," Tracy grinned and they both fed the Pokémon. "They've all missed you a ton, and they'll definitely put all their effort into it. They do take up after you, after all. It'll definitely be even more exciting since a lot of them have learned a few new moves during their time here."

At that, all the Pokémon minus those Ash carried for his Frontier challenge gave cries of determination and pride. Indeed, they were all eager to show Ash just what they could do now. Pikachu was especially excited to see what everyone else could do now.

"Yeah I can't wait, and when I get Chari-wait a minute," Ash said, realizing what Tracy had said. "New moves?"

"Yeah, Kingler and Muk and Bayleef and many of the others learned new moves," Tracy laughed. "What, did you think that all your Pokémon just played around the Corral and ate and slept all the time?"

After about a few seconds of silence, Ash simply blinked and replied, "Uh...yeah."

A sweat drop appeared on a face palming Tracy, and all of Ash's Pokémon, including Pikachu, face faulted onto the ground.

"Well, they haven't, at least not all the time," Tracy replied after a quick recovery. "They've all been training with each other quite a lot, and those new moves are the proud results!"

"Awesome," Ash grinned. He couldn't believe it; after all this time his Pokémon had learned new moves. Once again, that pang of guilt for not paying as much attention as he should have came back, but like he said, it would be different from now on.

"Yeah, I think you'll really be impressed, Ash," Tracy continued. "In fact, Bulbasaur actually mastered Slu-"

"Don't tell me, Tracy," the raven hair teen quickly interrupted, much to Tracy's surprise. "I want to see it for myself," he added with a grin. Turning to his Pokémon, Ash continued, "Ok, guys, time to see how much stronger you guys have gotten! You ready?"

In response, everyone from the ever loyal Bulbasaur to the energetic Aipom gave cries of joy, pride and determination. No sooner that did they all settle down, however, did another cry ring through the air. A cry of hunger from...guess who?

"Oops," Ash laughed sheepishly. "I guess seeing you guys eat is making me hungry, too." As if to agree, his stomach let out another hungry rumble.

As the Pokémon laughed, Tracy said, "Oh yeah, guess I forgot to mention; breakfast is ready inside. Professor Oak is probably eating right now. Go on, I'll keep feeding your Pokémon."

"Thanks, Tracy. Pikachu, are you good out here for now?"

"Pika," the Electric Type replied with a nod.

"Ok then, see you guys later!" Ash yelled back as he began running for the Oak Labs building. "When I come back, we'll get starting on training hard, so get ready! With that, the raven haired teen ran off, not stopping until he reached Professor Oak's main Lab. Heading inside, he was bombarded with the mouthwatering scent of eggs and bacon and sausage and toast and more and it was just too much for Ash as he went straight for the source of the heavenly aroma. Entering the kitchen it originated from, he was greeted with the sight of delicious food and Professor Oak sitting down with a heartly filled plate in front of him, another plate filled with food across from him. It was as if...

"Ah, good morning, Ash my boy, I've been expecting you!" the old man said with a smile as he saw Ash enter. "I have a plate ready for you."

"Good morning, Professor," Ash greeted in return as he sat down across from the Professor. "And thanks; seeing my Pokémon eating sure worked up an appetite!"

"With you, I can never tell when it comes to food," Oak laughed as Ash chuckled sheepishly. "I assume you had a nice night alongside your Pokémon?"

"Yeah, I really did; I should do it more often, it was a great new experience, just being there with my Pokémon with no distractions at all...it was a really good bonding moment, if you ask me. That actually reminds me-Tracy said you knew I was out there. How did you know?"

"Well, your Pokémon weren't that far from my Lab building, and sometime during the night I just happened to be passing by the window for some coffee and I saw you and Pikachu talking to all your Pokémon before joining them to sleep. I called your mother after that to assure her you were fine. By the way, you may want to go back home later and see her. She was rather worried about you after you left yesterday."

"Ahhh...yeah," Ash replied nervously. "I probably should do that." He was a tad bit nervous about that confrontation. Delia Ketchum, although sweet and understanding, was quite overprotective of her son when she wanted to be, and would definitely get angry and yell at him (even if only for a little while) in regards to some of his more...worrying and dangerous activities.

Ash was seriously considering if being the "Chosen One" wasn't just limited to the prophecy of Shamouti Island...

"I guess I lost track of time," Ash continued as he took off his cap and ran his hand through the untamed locks, his face taking on a more serious look. "I really had a lot to think about after what Gary told me after our battle."

"Yes, I imagine that you did," the Professor agreed. "And that is the reason I was expecting you. Ash, I have seen you grow as a Trainer these last four years. From your start here in Kanto to the Orange Islands and through Johto and Hoenn and your second Kanto tour, you have grown to be a remarkable Trainer. You have three Pokémon that have stood in battle against Legendaries, two of which you had beaten. But Gary did point out some valid points yesterday."

"Yeah," Ash sighed. "It was a pretty big eye opener, and after all that thinking yesterday, it helped me realize a few other things too."

"I figured as much."

"But still, it was a big help to me in the long run. And now, I've decided to make a few changes starting today. From now on, things are definitely going to be different, and whatever comes my way when I start my next journey, I know I'll be able to overcome with, with ALL of my Pokémon."

"That's what I like to hear," Oak smiled as he ate another piece of bacon, sensing Ash's determination burning up with a passion once again. "I'd like to discuss with you your plans, Ash. I think I can provide you with much help if you plan to take this new path of yours seriously."

"That would be great, Professor," Ash said with gratitude. "Thanks!"

"Don't mention it! For now, though, let's have breakfast; we can talk further afterwards. I'd also love to hear more about your adventures in Kanto this time around. Knowing your track record, there must have been quite a few!"

"You bet, Professor, and some you wouldn't believe!" Ash replied with a grin as he finally began stuffing his face with the glorious food, something Oak was used to by now. And so the two spent the next hour talking about the adventures that Ash, Brock, May and Max had in Kanto. Oak was amazed by some of the things Ash told him, such as meeting the Golem Trio and Mew in the kingdom of Rota, as well as having the same aura as the legendary hero Sir Aaron. Oak was also amazed to learn about their second encounter with Celebi (well, first for May and Max), as well as another encounter they had with another Deoxys; the old man was shocked to learn that yet another one of Ash's Pokémon, Sceptile, had gone toe-to-toe with a Legendary and held its own. When Ash told him about Manaphy, Oak couldn't believe it-a Sinnoh Legendary in Kanto waters?! And of course, Ash talked about his journey over all as he and May travelled to conquer the Battle Frontier and the Kanto Grand Festival, respectively, and recanted how he had caught Aipom.

"A giant Slaking?" Oak asked in confusion. "And that didn't tip you off?"

"Um, no not really," Ash replied with a sheepish laugh, "but it probably should've in retrospect." At that, Ash stopped and began thinking. After a dozen seconds, he added, "You know, now that I really think about it, a lot of Team Rocket's costumes and schemes were pretty obvious...man, how did I never realize it was them all these years? And after every time, too?"

"Don't fret over that," Oak chuckled. "At least you know now for next time, right?"

"I really hope there isn't a next time," Ash sighed as he picked his fork at his now empty plate. "Seriously, after four years you'd think they'd give up by now."

"They are determined, I must admit," Oak said as he took their plates and placed them in the sink. "Very well, Ash, I guess we should start discussing your plans now. Come, we'll head to my main Lab office."

"Sounds good to me," Ash replied as he grabbed his hat & followed the Professor to another part of the building. Pretty soon, they had arrived and Ash and Professor Oak took a seat. Oak took a notebook and pen from a nearby table, in case anything should be written down.

"Ok, Ash, so tell me, what are you planning to do now?"

"Well, I've decided to go to Sinnoh and compete in the next League Tournament there," Ash replied. "But this time, I won't be rushing off to Sinnoh like I did for Johto and Hoenn. I've decided to spent a few weeks, probably a month or a little more, training with my Pokémon to get them stronger. I realized I've been a bit...well, pretty negligent towards a lot of my Pokémon, and it's definitely hurt me more than helped, and the same for my Pokémon. I'll be training and working with them to get them back in shape, and Tracy told me many of them have learned new moves, that'll definitely help out, too. I plan to have them help out whatever new Pokémon I catch in Sinnoh, and definitely use them in my tougher battles, Gym and otherwise. After our training is done, then I'll head to Sinnoh, but this time I won't be taking just Pikachu."

"Oh?" Oak said in surprise. He wondered if that would be a subject Ash had reflected on, and he had to admit he was rather pleased that Ash had made this choice.

"Yeah; see, I want to have my new Pokémon that I catch learn from my older Pokémon, and bringing just Pikachu doesn't help that. So, I will take along Pikachu and three others with me to start off, and I'll definitely be rotating my team around so that everyone can get experience."

"That sounds like a very good idea. Your older Pokémon have much experience, skill and knowledge that they can pass on to those that you'll catch, and rotating your team around is an excellent way to spread the experience around."

"Right," Ash agreed. "Though it'll be pretty difficult to rotate all of my Pokémon around and train them enough with just being able to carry only six."

"It'll be difficult, but I know you can do it," Oak encouraged with a smile. Although, the Professor knew of another option that the Trainer had that could be used, but he didn't want to suggest it just yet. He wanted to see how far the boy was going to go in his training first. Perhaps as a reward... "Ok, so how will you start off with this plan of yours?"

"Well, first off I definitely want to see all the new moves that my Pokémon have learned after all this time. It'll take a while though, and-"

"Why not just scan them with your PokéDex to see their movesets?"

"...Huh?"

"Scan your Pokémon with your Pokédex to see their movesets."

Ash blinked. "I had no idea I could do that."

"Well," Oak laughed, "it was a feature that the Regional Professors of the known Regions decided to incorporate into our Pokédexes about two years ago, around when you left for Hoenn. I never got to mention it to you because you always left in a hurry so I hoped you'd figure it out during your travels, but I guess not."

"Oh," the teen replied with a nervous laugh. "Oops."

"Not to worry, Ash; this is what this talk is for, after all. Now, after you see what your Pokémon can do, what next?"

"I'll be making some calls-to Liza, Vermillion City's Officer Jenny and to Anthony from the P1. I want Charizard and Squirtle to train alongside with us, and I think it's time that I finally check up on Primeape again and see if he's willing to come back."

"That sounds like a great idea, especially with Primeape. He was quite a powerful Pokémon when you first caught him so I imagine he's only gotten stronger. Perhaps it'd be better to call them before seeing the movesets of your Pokémon; that way they arrive sooner. Ok then, after you check up the movesets, you'll proceed to training then, correct?"

"Yep!"

"How will you carry out the training? Meaning, is there a specific goal you have in mind for your Pokémon?"

...

...

"Uh...actually, except for Pikachu, I got nothing," Ash replied sheepishly.

Oak only sighed with a sweatdrop. "Well," he said after he recomposed himself, "you will definitely need to set a goal, then. Perhaps have a series of mock battles to see just what your Pokémon are excelling at and what they need to improve on. I'm curious, though...what do you have in mind for Pikachu?"

"Well," Ash replied as he again took off his hat, "as you know, Pikachu beat Brandon's Regice and because of that, he's gotten stronger-a lot stronger-than he already is...more strength, power, endurance, everything. But you remember my battle with Gary and what he said about Pikachu not being so used to that boost yet, so I decided to have Charizard help him out in adjusting to his new power levels, and since Charizard has gotten so strong that he could battle with and beat an Articuno, I figure he can easily help Pikachu."

"Hmmm...that does sound like a good idea," the old man agreed with a thoughtful look. "Charizard is easily your most powerful Pokémon, with Pikachu close behind now." Oak was quiet for another few seconds, then added, "Perhaps you should do the same with Sceptile and Torkoal, since they also have faced Legendaries. I would imagine that has given them quite the boost in strength and power."

"Huh, you're right," Ash agreed, thinking about those three battles. "I never would've thought of that."

"You know, now that I really think about it...it still greatly surprises me how those four Pokémon were able to hold their own against these Legendaries. The Golem Trio species may be some of the lesser tiers of the Legendaries but they are still extremely powerful and of earth shaking power. The Deoxys species may have just been discovered recently but for it to be able to stand against Rayquaza in battle like it did in LaRousse City...not only that, but it's psychic powers are on par with those of Lugia, maybe even Mew. And the Articuno species, they are said to be the essential incarnation of winter and the elements of ice. Of course, the Articuno you battled wasn't nowhere on the same level of power as the one in the Orange Islands, but it was still of earth shattering power, a wonder to behold, correct?"

At that, Ash nodded, prompting Oak to continue, "The Legendary Pokémon of this planet are considered as deities, destructive forces of nature given physical form...even Champions have no chance of defeating the higher tier Legendaries. And yet four of your Pokémon have stood against some, two of which have bested them in battle. I just can't understand how that kind of power could even rest within them."

"Actually Professor," Ash offered, running his hand through his hair, "I actually thought about that myself last night when I was wondering how Pikachu lost after beating a Regice. It took me a while to remember it, but I think I know how that potential came about, at least for Pikachu & Charizard."

**XXX**

_***Flashback: Shamouti Island, Orange Archipelago, about three years ago***_

_The darkened skies roared and flashed with thunder and lightning, the massive bolts descending down onto the frozen seas and wreaking destruction of proportion never seen before. From far off, winds of sheer cold and blizzards as low as -200 Degrees Celsius blew across the frozen wastelands as it clashed with the powers of celestial lightning. Once in a while they would be replaced by winds of blistering hot temperatures, hotter even than that of boiling magma. Massive shockwaves of pure force constantly coursed across the massive & devastated frozen fields of godlike combat as elemental attacks collided and bodies blessed with strength very few Pokémon possessed slammed into each other as each of the three Forces of Nature given carnal form sought to prove their dominance. The path to Ice Island was consumed in blizzards that would put the Ice Age to shame, bombarding the landscape with shards of ice of all sizes, joined by massive fireballs and jets of matter melting flames and lightning bolts that consumed all they struck and left no survivors. It was as if Mother Nature itself had risen in the Shamouti area and consumed the lands and seas with her unquestioned fury and destruction._

_And yet none of this deterred 11 year old Ash Ketchum, Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Squirtle or Charizard as they raced towards Ice Island, right through the very heart of the destruction, under the guidance of the almighty Lugia. The four Pokémon were willing to give their lives to ensure Ash get to that island and retrieve the final sphere that would lead to the quelling of this fight of gods that was literally shaking and breaking the world._

_And that was what was exactly to happen as the Legendary Moltres & Zapdos, blind in their rage and power lust, raced for the band of heroes and decided to strike. Within the blink of an eye, a massive blast of lightning and a burning stream of literally red hot flames were shooting for Ash and his Pokémon._

_At that moment, Pikachu and Charizard decided it would have to be them both to stop those attacks. They didn't care that they were in every literal sense of the word, challenging literal deities of their respective elements. They didn't care that they had no chance at all, like how a Caterpie would have no chance against a Charizard. They didn't care that they were outpowered and outmatched; they cared only to defend their Trainer and their friend, the one human capable of even having a chance to stop this madness. It was pure instinct and love for their Trainer that gave them the courage to unleash their attacks in hopes of defending Ash, and by Arceus they would put every fiber of their being into their attacks, every ounce of their strength._

_"ZAAAAAAARRRRDDD!"_

_"CHHHUUUUUUUUUUUU!"_

_And somehow, to their own shock, and that of Ash and the other two and even Lugia, their attacks had managed to find the power and strength to not only meet the Legendaries' attacks head on, but even managed to push them back before everything exploded into one giant blast of pure power, the shockwaves rocking their makeshift raft. It left Pikachu and Charizard very exhausted, though, and when Articuno then decided to add in her own catastrophic Ice Beam, the two were unable to muster up any more energy to defend lest they risk capsizing their raft. They'd be dead if not for Lugia's quick save._

_***Flashback end***_

**XXX**

"Incredible..." Oak breathed, stunned into silence at Ash's recounting. "Charizard and Pikachu were still quite relatively young that year and yet they had found that power to push back the strongest attacks of Zapdos & Moltres...just amazing. Ash, you have quite some Pokémon, I must say."

"Tell me about it," Ash smiled. "Makes me regret not using them as much, for all of them, but like I said, things are going to be different."

Oak smiled. "Now, is there anything else you have in mind?"

"Yeah-learning new moves; my newer Pokémon especially, in this case. I want to have my Pokémon know a lot of moves and attacks, and as many as they can, so that there is variety to work with. That way, we'll be able to handle some situations better, in and out of battle."

"A wise decision," Oak agreed, "but you'll need to choose the moves you want your Pokémon to know carefully. Biologically, a Pokémon can know up to 13 moves unless it's a Legendary."

"Whoa, really?" Ash asked in surprise. "I had no idea..."

"Yes, a professor named Cedric Juniper from the Unova Region, who specializes in Pokémon biology, discovered this about seven years ago when researching Pokémon across the globe. The biological makeup of a Pokémon allows it to learn up to 13 moves at any given time. If it wants to learn another move when it already has 13, the part of a Pokémon's brain responsible for storing the knowledge and skill to execute such moves, will instinctively force itself to forget a weaker move in favor of the newer one. Attacks that are similar will just evolve from the previous one, such as a Razor Leaf evolving into a Leaf Storm, Scratch into Fury Swipes or Slash, Thundershock to Thunderbolt, etc. etc. A Legendary Pokémon, however, doesn't have that limitation simply because of how much power they wield. That's the simple way of saying it."

"That's pretty interesting," Ash mused. "I guess there are still a lot of things about Pokémon that I don't know about."

"That is actually something I wanted to discuss with you," Oak said with a look of sudden remembrance. "Ash, since you're going to be starting another journey soon, I think it's time that you need to start learning how to be able to survive on your own and with your Pokémon. After all, I doubt that Brock is going to be going with you again this time around."

"Yeah, Brock's still taking care of some business in Pewter City with the Gym and his family...especially after that last fiasco with his parents," Ash laughed. That sure was a funny memory, even if it involved Team Rocket.

"Ash, you might want to take this a bit more seriously," Oak stated in a serious voice, which surprised Ash and quickly got him to focus again. "Now, for the past few years you've travelled with at least one Gym Leader and with a number of other companions. Now, that has been a good experience for you, especially travelling with Brock and Misty because there are a number of things you've learned from them. However, you also depended on Brock's Pokémon knowledge and his cooking skills quite a bit. I think that you're at the stage of your journey where it's time to really and truly go out on your own. And to do that, you will definitely need to be able to fend for yourself and all the Pokémon you'll be carrying with you."

Hearing that, Ash couldn't help but realize that the Professor was right. Travelling with Brock and Misty, and then Tracy and the Maple siblings, had accustomed him to having someone to travel with all the time. It was a support system he seemed to always fall back on. And now that he thought about it, he was very dependent on Brock's knowledge and cooking skills in all of his travels, and as a result he himself never bothered to learn any of this himself. The only time Ash realized that it had come back to haunt him was when he began his Hoenn journey, a few days after he arrived. Even then, Brock had miraculously appeared so there had been no need to learn any of this anyways, even during his Battle Frontier challenge. He was very dependent on Brock, and now that Brock was no longer travelling with him that would definitely pose a problem.

"Yeah, I see what you mean Professor," Ash replied. "I guess it would be a great time to start learning how to cook, and to take care of my Pokémon. Brock did do most of it, but since he's not around anymore, I guess it's up to me now."

"I'll gladly help you with that, Ash," Oak offered with a smile. "I can easily teach you what you need to know about Pokémon, such as food and care. I'm sure that Brock wouldn't mind if you also called him for some advice as well. As for cooking lessons, your mother would definitely be ready to help you in that aspect, and again I doubt Brock would mind if you called about that as well. Tracy should be able to help in terms of Pokémon food. And as for medicine and such, again you can always call Brock."

"Yeah that's a great idea, Professor!" Ash replied with a smile. "Thanks for that, I really appreciate it. I'll be sure to ask Tracy and Brock and my mom for help about that, too."

"Of course, my boy," Oak smiled. "Ok, now, is there anything else that you can think of that you'd like to work on during these weeks of preparation?"

"Uh...maybe basic survival skills?" the teen offered after a minute of thought, remembering what he could from his many travels. "Like starting a fire and reading a map?"

"A good decision. I can't think of anything else you could work on...I think that's the best to work with for now." Oak then gave the notebook he had taken earlier to Ash, who was surprised to see the first few pages written up with everything they had just discussed. "I've written down all that we've discussed just now into that notebook. I suggest you hang on to it throughout this whole time, and perhaps take it with you when you're ready to go to Sinnoh. You can be quite forgetful at times, after all."

"Uh, yeah I guess," Ash replied with a nervous laugh. "So, I guess that's everything for now."

"Indeed. Now you should probably go home and let your mother know you're ok, and ask her for cooking lessons."

"Yeah. But I think I'll call Liza, Officer Jenny and Anthony up first, so that I don't forget. Can I use your video phone, Professor?"

"Be my guest," the older man smiled. "Now, if you need me when you come back for your training, I'll be in my office. Don't hesitate to ask for any help."

"Thanks, Professor," Ash replied as the older man retreated to his studies. With that, Ash went over to the video phone off on the wall and took out a small contact book from his backpack to look for a few specific numbers. Having found them quickly, he dialed the first one and waited for answer. After the first few rings, he was rewarded.

"Vermillion Police Headquarters. This is Officer Jenny."

"Hey, Officer Jenny," Ash answered. "How are you?"

"Ash, good to see you again," Jenny replied with a smile as she realized who she was speaking to. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon after your battle with Brandon."

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "I wasn't planning on it either, but I decided to start training up my Pokémon before starting my next journey. I wanted to ask if I could get Squirtle back for...about a month?"

That surprised Jenny. "A month?"

"Yeah, I'm going to be staying here in Pallet Town for a while. I know it's a lot to ask since Squirtle is the leader of the Squirtle Squad, and-"

"Oh, don't worry, Ash, it's not a problem at all. The Squad has really been doing well this last year, and Squirtle has been really anxious for some action after returning. I think it'd be good to let out that energy with some time with his Trainer. I think Squirtle will definitely agree to it, and the Squad won't mind a bit."

"Wow, thanks Officer Jenny!" Ash grinned.

"Of course," the blue haired woman replied with a smile. "Squirtle and I will be there by tomorrow, is that ok?"

"That's great! I'll see you two then!"

"Great! Until tomorrow Ash. Take care." And with that, she cut the call. Ash grinned, almost ecstatic with joy at seeing Squirtle again so soon.

"Ok, one down and two to go," the raven haired teen told himself as he dialed another number.

...ring ring ring ring... "Hey Ash, good to hear from you again!" came the answer in the form of a pretty green haired young woman. The Charizard wearing a bow on her head next to her roared her agreement.

"Hey, Liza, same here," Ash replied with his usual grin. "How's Charizard doing?"

"He's doing great! He hasn't stopped training since he came back; I'm guessing he really got pumped from your battle with Brandon. He's actually learned a couple of new moves too. And of course, he still is the Valley's most powerful Charizard. It's still hard to believe that puny Charizard that came by almost three years ago would become the strongest Charizard here."

"That's great! I'm happy he's doing great like always."

"Oh, Charla makes sure he's happy here, right girl?" Liza teased as she looked to Charla, who blushed and growled sheepishly. Ash simply blinked, not understanding at all, something Liza noticed quickly. She chuckled and decided to change the subject. "So anyways, Ash, I'm assuming you want Charizard back for something, right? Kind of surprising that you need him so soon."

"Yeah, see I'm going to be heading to Sinnoh in about a month, and I'm going to be training up my Pokémon during that time so we can get ready. I was hoping that Charizard could help me train up some of them."

"Sure, I'm positive Charizard won't mind seeing you again so soon. I'll let him know and he should be over at Pallet Town by tomorrow morning, sound good?"

"That's great Liza, thanks!"

"No problem! I'll see you soon then, take care!"

"Bye, and thanks again. Bye, Charla!"

"Charrr!"

When the call ended, Ash looked at the final number and sighed. Hopefully, his first Fighting Type would hold no ill will towards him. "Alright, here goes nothing," he told himself as he began punching in the number. The ringing began, and went on for a few seconds before the video screen activated and showed a rather brolic black haired man. Ash saw right away that he hadn't changed a bit at all from all those years ago.

"Hello, Anoki residence, this is Anthony spea..." the man began before noticing who he was speaking to, resulting in him being stunned into silence. Ash felt a bit awkward at the silence, and found he had no idea what to say. The man began giving a look over to him, and after another few seconds, said, "Ash Ketchum? Is that really you?"

"Yep, it's me Anthony," Ash replied with a sheepish grin.

"Holy cow, you certainly have grown quite a bit!" Anthony replied in a bit of hearty laughter. "It's great to see you again, kid!" He looked off to the side away from the camera and yelled, "Rebecca! Get Primeape over here, Ash Ketchum is calling!" Turning back to Ash, he continued, "Primeape is doing great and he sure has missed you, Ash. And don't worry, I've been making sure he's training all the time."

"That's great to hear, Anthony, I can't thank you enough," Ash said with a smile before frowning. "I can't believe I've been neglecting him all these years, though. I feel terrible about it."

"Yeah, that was something I found myself wondering about," Anthony replied, a small frown appearing on his face. "I was surprised that you never called to check up on Primeape or anything."

"I know; I guess I've been so caught up in my travels that he just completely slipped my mind after all these years. I feel terrible about that."

"Hey, kid, don't worry about it," the older man replied. "Sure, you haven't been doing that, but I don't think Primeape would hold it against you. If anything, I think it'd make him even more excited to see you now. By the way, I'm assuming this isn't just a friendly phone call, right? Am I right in guessing you want Primeape to come back?"

"Actually-"

Ash never got to finish as a loud "Prime Primeape" rang out on Anthony's side of the phone call. A second later, a large pig-like monkey appeared on the screen, but the only difference between this Primeape and others was the thick golden colored belt on its...waist?...that shone with the words "P1 Champion" on it. The Fighting Type saw Ash on the screen and immediately got excited. "Prime Primeape Ape Primeape!"

"Hey Primeape," Ash greeted with a joyful smile as the feeling of nostalgia and a wave of memories overcame him. "How've you been, buddy?"

"Primeape Ape," the Pig Monkey Pokémon replied with eagerness as he pointed to his belt, his pride evident by the eye smiles on his face.

"Yep, that's the belt of a P1 Champion," Anthony said proudly. "Primeape has certainly come a long way in the past four years."

"Wow, that's great to hear, Primeape," Ash praised. "I'm sure you've gotten a lot stronger since I left you with Anthony, right?"

"Ape Primeape!" Primeape had indeed gotten stronger from all his training, and even though it was just via video calling, the Fighting Type could sense that his old Trainer had also gotten a lot stronger in the last few years, too.

"Awesome," Ash said with a smile. "Hey Primeape? I was actually wondering...you want to come back to the team?"

"Prime?"

"I know I haven't exactly been the best Trainer with you, never checking up on you while you were with Anthony. I'm sorry about that, Primeape, I really am, and I don't really have a good excuse for it. But, I do want to make it up to you. I'm heading off to another region in about a month to compete in the Pokémon League there, and I'd really love it if you were there battling along with me and the rest of the gang all the way. You'd make a lot of new friends and you'll find that a few of my Pokémon are quite eager to battle just like you. I know it may be a bit out of nowhere, but what do you say?"

Was Ash kidding? Of course, Primeape was ready to come back to the team! "Prime Prime Ape!" the Fighting Type responded not even two seconds later, pumping his fist/glove to show just how excited he was. After all this time, he was going to see his old Trainer again! Sure it had been years since they last had any form of contact, but the Fighting Type didn't hold it against the teen at all.

"Really? That's great, Primeape!" Ash said excitedly. He couldn't believe it! Primeape was finally coming back! He couldn't wait to start training with him; the thought alone got his blood racing and his whole being excited. He turned to a now smiling Anthony and asked, "Is that ok with you, Anthony?"

"Of course, kid," the older man replied. "It's no problem at all. It actually came at a great time, because Primeape has been a P1 Champ for the last three years running, and I pretty much have nothing left to teach him anymore. I think travelling and battling again is just what Primeape needs now."

"Primeape!"

"Alright, it's great to have you back, buddy. How soon can you guys get here?"

"You're calling from Pallet Town, right? We should be there by tomorrow afternoon, the latest."

"Awesome, see you guys then!"

"You bet! See you, Ash!"

"Bye, Anthony, and thanks again! See you soon, Primeape!"

"Primeape!"

With that, the call ended, and Ash could help the grin that was now glued onto his face. His old Primeape was coming back. The teen had a great feeling about this month of preparation for him and his Pokémon. He could almost taste the results that he and his Pokémon would obtain as a result. "Yep, things are definitely going to be different, now." Checking the time and seeing it was almost noon, Ash decided to finally head home to see his mom. He figured Pikachu would be ok here at the Ranch catching up with the rest of his Pokémon, so with a quick grab of his hat, the teen raced off home.

* * *

><p><strong>XXX<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>*Ketchum Residence, about five minutes later*<strong>

"Mom, I'm home-!"

No sooner did the words escape his mouth than did Delia Ketchum come out from the kitchen, an apron over her usual attire and a fierce angry look on her usually calm and joyful face. "ASH KETCHUM, DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS ABOUT YOU?! WHERE WERE YOU?!"

Ash visibly cringed at his mother's yelling and actually stepped back out of surprise. "Yeah, sorry mom," he replied sheepishly as he nervously scratched the back of his neck. "I lost track of time when I did all my thinking. I was on a tree in Route 1 and I stayed there up until almost midnight. Sorry about that, I didn't mean to worry you."

Delia looked sternly at her son for a few more seconds before sighing and smiling softly. "Well, just don't worry me like that again, dear. I was really worried about you after what Gary had said yesterday. You seemed so unsure of yourself."

"Don't worry, Mom," Ash replied with a smile. "I was a bit down, yeah, but I did decide on a few changes in my training styles, and now I'm more excited than ever for the next League I compete in!"

"I know you can do it, dear," Delia replied with a smile. "Where's Pikachu?"

"Back at the Ranch with the others. Which reminds me; Mom, I'm going to be staying here in Pallet Town for about a month to train with my Pokémon before going off to Sinnoh. Professor Oak offered to teach me more about Pokémon and how to care for them, like food wise and medicinewise."

"That's wonderful, dear. I guess you're really ready to start heading off on your own. Oh, my little boy is growing up so fast." Delia immediately grabbed her son in one of her trademark bone crushing, breath stealing hugs. "It seems like only yesterday you were running off with a stubborn little Pikachu...where does the time go? Your father would be very proud of you if he could see you now, though I'm positive he's been keeping his eye on you..."

"Mom...can't...breathe...!"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry honey," the mother giggled as she let her son go. "A mother can't help but smother her son."

"Yeah...right..." Ash replied with a chuckle as he regained his breath. "So, Mom, there's something I actually need your help with. Could you...teach me how to cook?"

That definitely caught Delia by surprise. "Cook? Teach you how to cook?"

"Yeah; see, Professor Oak and I were talking about how I should be better prepared to head out on my own, and he pointed out that I had depended a lot on Brock's cooking. I didn't realize it at first until just a few days after I arrived in Hoenn, and even then Brock showed up. But since he's not travelling with me anymore, I kind of have to depend on myself to feed me and my Pokémon. So can you help me, Mom?"

"Hmm, I don't know, honey," his mother said with a frown as she crossed her arms. "You aren't exactly the most reliable person in a kitchen as it is..."

"Mom..."

Delia maintained her look at her son for a few more seconds until she laughed, saying, "I think I can whip you into shape in a month. Don't worry, honey-by the end of the month you should at least know the basics!"

"Thanks...I think," Ash said with a sweat drop.

* * *

><p><strong>XXX<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>*Oak Labs, 30 minutes later*<strong>

After lunch with his mother and recanting all his adventures in Kanto with Brock and the Maple siblings (while leaving out the more...reckless details for now), Ash had raced back over to the Oak Labs Ranch to meet up with his Pokémon again. Entering the Ranch, he found them all either playing or sleeping or even sparring. 'Huh, guess Tracy was right,' Ash thought with a smile. 'They do training here, too.'

"Ok guys, come on over here!" Ash called out to his Pokémon. Those that were asleep were quickly nudged awake and soon the usual stampede came charging right at the teen. After a few minutes of happily reuniting with his Pokémon and getting reacquainted once again, the Trainer managed to calm his Pokémon down and soon everyone was either sitting or standing, with Pikachu back on Ash's shoulder, awaiting orders as their training was to begin.

"Alright, guys, so I want to start off by saying thanks for being so understanding with me about this. Again, I'm sorry I've been neglectful to many of you, but things are changing now. Just wait, the next League trophy has our names written all over it. You guys ready to start working hard?!"

He was met with the many cheers of his Pokémon, who were all raring to go. "That's what I like to hear! Ok now, there are some other things, too. I've called up Squirtle and Charizard to help us out and train with us too. Some of you know them, most don't. They're two of my oldest Pokémon, with Charizard arguably being my most powerful."

Here, Sceptile narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.

"Charizard will be helping us all out, but his main focus will be working with Sceptile, Pikachu and Torkoal. I'll explain more tomorrow when he and Squirtle show up."

Sceptile, Pikachu and Torkoal voiced their agreement, with the two more recent of the three wondering what they were in store for. Sceptile especially wanted to see if this Charizard was truly Ash's best and most powerful Pokémon.

"Another thing is this: of all of you, only Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charizard remember that I once caught a Primeape. The reason he isn't here now is because he's been training with a Fighting Type specialist for the last four years. Well...guess what, guys-Primeape is coming back!"

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered.

"Bulbasaur Bulba!" Bulbasaur added on with a smile. He always wondered whatever happened to their old teammate since being sent for training.

"Yep, and he's even stronger than before, so having him back will definitely be a great help to us, especially you, Heracross; since you're part Fighting Type, you might be able to learn a lot from him."

"Hera," the Bug/Fighting Type responded with a grin.

"Ok, now before we start getting into training, I want to see where you all stand at now in terms of skill and power, so we'll be doing a bunch of mock battles to see what you guys need to improve on. Before we do that, I'll going to be scanning you all with my PokéDex to see what moves you've learned. I'll start with Bulbasaur and work my way through you all."

All his Pokémon agreed and readied themselves in a line, patiently waiting for their turn. Bulbasaur walked over to Ash, who crouched down to scan him.

Five minutes later, Bulbasaur was looking at his Trainer with a deadpan expression, as the rest of the Pokémon were fighting to hold back their laughter and chuckles (except for Snorlax, who had fallen asleep again, and the Tauros herd, who were stamping on the ground impatiently), while Pikachu simply shook his head in exasperation. All while Ash was still trying to figure out how to scan for a Pokémon's moveset.

"Huh...this is a bit harder than I thought," the teen muttered.

"Do you need a hand, Ash?" Ash and his Pokémon turned to see a chuckling Professor Oak. He motioned for Ash to stand back up and to hand him the PokéDex. "See, for one to scan a Pokémon for its moveset, you have to scan the Pokémon's information first, and then it will allow you to see the moveset. If it is a wild Pokémon it does it automatically but for one owned by a Trainer you have to program it to do it." Oak then pressed a few buttons and then scanned Bulbasaur for his species information. Dexter then soon came to life.

_**"Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. Bulbasaur can be seen napping in bright daylight. The seed on its back is filled with nutrients, and Bulbasaur grows by gaining nourishment from it. This Bulbasaur is male and has the ability Overgrow. Currently, this Bulbasaur knows the moves Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Dig, Tackle, Solar Beam, Take Down, Sludge Bomb, Petal Dance and Protect."**_

"Ability...I remember something about that..." Ash said. "I remember Pikachu and Sceptile and May's Blaziken having abilities..."

"Indeed," Oak said. "All Pokémon have special abilities that help them in battle in one way or another. A Pokémon can have up to three abilities available to its species but it can only have one ability at all times. For example, the Arcanine line has both Intimidate & Flash Fire as an ability available to them, but can only have one. This is something you'll be learning with me, so don't worry."

"Ok, then," Ash grinned. "Now, Bulbasaur's ability is Overgrow, just like Sceptile. That powers up Grass moves, right?"

"Right, and Overgrow is exclusive only to the Grass Starters of the Regions, same as Blaze for the Fire Starters such as Charizard and Cyndaquil, and Torrent for the Water Starters such as Squirtle and Totodile."

"That's definitely good to know," Ash said. Crouching back down to Bulbasaur, he added, "and Bulbasaur, these are some great moves...I'm guessing you learned Petal Dance from May's Bulbasaur before she left. This is great; I'm proud of you, Bulbasaur."

"Bulbasaur," the Seed Pokémon replied with a prideful smile.

"Ok, guys, who's next?" And for the next half hour, the process of Ash scanning his Pokémon and praising them for their hard work and dedication continued. Oak also suggested that Ash scan the Pokémon he took with him on his Frontier challenge, just to see if anything was missed along the way, and the teen was surprised to see there was.

_**"Muk, the Sludge Pokémon and the evolved form of Grimer. Its body is made of a powerful poison. Touching it accidentally will cause a fever that requires bed rest. This Muk is male and has the ability Stench. Currently, this Muk knows the moves Body Slam, Poison Gas, Sludge Bomb, Ice Punch, Gunk Shot, Mud Bomb, Acid Armor, Pain Split and Fire Blast."**_

_**"Kingler, the Pincer Pokémon and the evolved form of Krabby. Kingler has an enormous, oversized claw. It waves this huge claw in the air to communicate with others. However, because the claw is so heavy, the Pokémon quickly tires. This Kingler is male and has the ability Shell Armor. Currently, this Kingler knows the moves Crabhammer, Hyper Beam, Bide, Bubblebeam, Iron Defense, Brine, Water Pulse, Mud Shot, Ice Beam & Knock Off."**_

_**"Snorlax, the Sleeping Pokémon and the evolved form of Munchlax. Snorlax's typical day consists of nothing more than eating and sleeping. It is such a docile Pokémon that there are children who use its expansive belly as a place to play. This Snorlax is male and has the ability Thick Fat. Currently, this Snorlax knows the moves Body Slam, Hyper Beam, Ice Punch, Rest, Sleep Talk, Protect, Earthquake, Snore, Focus Blast and Amnesia."**_

_**"Cyndaquil, the Fire Mouse Pokémon. Cyndaquil is timid, and always curls itself up in a ball. If attacked, it flares up its back for protection. This Cyndaquil is male and has the ability Blaze. Currently, this Cyndaquil knows the moves Flamethrower, Smokescreen, Swift, Quick Attack, Flame Wheel, Lava Plume, Rollout, Extrasensory and Aerial Ace."**_

_**"Totodile, the Big Jaw Pokémon. Despite its small body, Totodile's jaws are very powerful. While it may think it is just playfully nipping, its bite has enough strength to cause serious injury. This Totodile is male and has the ability Torrent. Currently, this Totodile knows the moves Water Gun, Scratch, Bite, Slash, Headbutt, Scary Face, Ice Punch & Ice Fang."**_

_**"Heracross, the Single Horn Pokémon. Though gentle and docile, Heracross possesses great strength and power. Their favorite food is the fresh sap of leafy trees. This Heracross is male and has the ability Swarm. Currently, this Heracross knows the moves Horn Attack, Megahorn, Aerial Ace, Focus Punch, Sleep Talk, Take Down, Endure and Hyper Beam."**_

_**"Noctowl, the Owl Pokémon and the evolved form of Hoothoot. It unfailingly catches prey in darkness. Noctowl owe their success to superior vision that allows them to see in minimal light, and to their supple and silent wings. Alert: this Noctowl is Shiny. This Noctowl is female and has the ability Insomnia. Currently, this Noctowl knows the moves Hypnosis, Foresight, Steel Wing, Peck, Sky Attack, Dream Eater, Psychic and Extrasensory."**_

_**"Bayleef, the Leaf Pokémon and the evolved form of Chikorita. A spicy aroma emanates from around its neck. The aroma acts as a stimulant to restore health. This Bayleef is female and has the ability Overgrow. Currently this Bayleef knows the moves Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Body Slam, Headbutt, Sweet Scent, Solar Beam, Light Screen, Giga Drain and Strength."**_

_**"Torkoal, the Coal Pokémon. It battles using energy it gets from burning coal. When loosing smoke from its nostrils, it lets off a sound that is similar to a locomotive's horn. This Torkoal is male and has the ability White Smoke. Currently, this Torkoal knows the moves Flamethrower, Iron Defense, Body Slam, Smoke Screen, Heat Wave, Overheat, Solar Beam, Sludge Bomb and Protect."**_

_**"Glalie, the Face Pokémon and an evolved form of Snorunt. Glalie has a tempered ice body that doesn't melt even under a direct flame. It can freeze vapors in the air instantly. This Glalie is male and has the ability Inner Focus. Currently, this Glalie knows the moves Ice Beam, Double Team, Headbutt, Iron Head, Light Screen, Hyper Beam and Blizzard."**_

_**"Sceptile, the Forest Pokémon and the evolved form of Grovyle. In the jungle, its power is without equal. This Pokémon carefully grows trees and plants. It regulates its body temperature by basking in sunlight. This Sceptile is male and has the ability Overgrow. Currently, this Sceptile knows the moves Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Solar Beam, Quick Attack, Pound and Agility."**_

_**"Swellow, the Swallow Pokémon and the evolved form of Taillow. A Swellow dives upon prey from far above. It never misses its targets. It takes to the skies in search of lands with a warm climate. This Swellow is female and has the ability Guts. Currently, this Swellow knows the moves Wing Attack, Aerial Ace, Double Team, Peck and Quick Attack."**_

_**"Donphan, the Armor Pokémon and the evolved form of Phanpy. A Donphan is so strong it can easily haul a dump truck. Its hide has toughened to a rock-hard state. An ordinary sort of attack won't even leave a scratch. This Donphan is male and has the ability Sturdy. Currently, this Donphan knows the moves Earthquake, Rollout, Defense Curl, Hyper Beam, Hidden Power & Take Down."**_

_**"Corphish, the Ruffian Pokémon. Corphish is exceptional in its ability to survive. It adapts to any environment, will drive out its inhabitants, and claim the territory for its own. This Corphish is male and has the ability Shell Armor. Currently, this Corphish knows the moves Bubblebeam, Crabhammer, Vicegrip & Harden."**_

_**"Aipom, the Long Tail Pokémon. Aipom is able to climb and hang from branches using its powerful tail. Aipom live atop tall trees. This Aipom is female and has the ability Run Away. Currently, this Aipom knows the moves Scratch, Swift, Focus Punch, Double Team, Shadow Ball, Tickle and Sand Attack."**_

_**"Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon and the evolved form of Pichu. Pikachu stores electricity in the electric sacs on its cheeks. When it releases pent-up energy in a burst, the electric power is equal to a lightning bolt. This Pikachu is male and has the ability Static. Currently, this Pikachu knows the moves Thunderbolt, Thunder, Volt Tackle, Iron Tail, Quick Attack, Agility and Double Edge."**_

Then came Tauros' turn...

"This...could be a problem," Ash said with a sweatdrop as he looked the herd of Tauros.

"Yes..." Oak muttered, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Ash, how did you plan on training your Tauros herd?"

"I honestly didn't think of it; all that came into my mind was training the one I battle with, the herd leader...the rest of them, I don't know. And I know each of them is strong, because my battling Tauros is really strong, too. The Tauros species are pretty strong, after all."

"Indeed, and a Tauros can learn a variety of moves as well...well, how about we start off with just scanning the leader first, since he's your battler?"

"Alright," Ash agreed, and he walked over to the herd leader to scan him. Tauros snorted a bit in pride, knowing that Ash would be proud of how much he'd learned after all this time.

_**"Tauros, the Wild Bull Pokémon. Tauros fight each other by locking horns. The herd's protector takes pride in its battle-scarred horns. Tauros is a male only species. This Tauros has the ability Anger Point and knows the moves Take Down, Fissure, Double Team, Horn Attack, Giga Impact, Thrash, Stone Edge, Earthquake, Zen Headbutt, Outrage, Payback and Iron Head."**_

"Goodness!" Oak exclaimed with a start. "That is certainly a versatile moveset. To learn Outrage, a Dragon Type move...and with such physical power that a Tauros has, attacks such as Giga Impact and Iron Head will deal a great amount of damage. Anger Point is also a very useful ability, especially coupled with Payback."

"Wow, Tauros, this is awesome!" Ash said with joy as he affectionately ran his fingers through Tauros' mane. "These are some great moves to know. This must've been a lot of work, so great job, buddy."

The bovine like Pokémon replied with a prideful bellow. Yep, his Trainer was proud of him, alright.

"Ok, so that's 12 moves in total...hmm, I wonder..." The teen then aimed his Pokédex at another one of his Tauros. After five long and annoying minutes of the same data being spit out over and over, Ash said, "Ok, so all 30 Tauros know the same attacks, all 12 of them. I guess you've been training your herd, huh?" The Tauros leader snorted his agreement. "Hmm...maybe..."

"What are you thinking, Ash?" Oak asked.

"Well, you said that a Tauros is able to learn a variety of moves, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, since each of them know the same 12 moves and a Pokémon can know up to 13, I was thinking that maybe that each one of them learn a specific move. That way, each one has a surprise attack they can use. It would be easier to differentiate between them, and it would help me to give each of them a shot at battling."

"Huh...that is a very unusual idea, Ash, but it is appealing. I think it could work. Of course, it may depend on if the herd is willing to battle after so many years of just...doing nothing. Now, how will you differentiate between each of the Tauros if you do this?"

"Uh...I don't know, nickname each of them?"

Oak stared at Ash for a good five seconds before smiling and saying, "Simple yet efficient. In fact, I can add a sticker to each of the Tauros' PokéBalls to help differentiate even more. You sure are thinking outside the box, my boy!"

"Thanks, Professor," Ash grinned before turning his attention back to all his Pokémon. "Ok, gang, it's time for some training. Like I said, we're going to be doing mock battles to see where each of you stand. Ok, let's start off with...Cyndaquil and Bayleef."

"Cynda!" Cyndaquil replied with joy as he scampered off about 30 feet away. With a cry of his name, he unleashed the flames on his back, ready to battle.

"...Bayleef Bay," the Johto Grass Starter said uncertainty before taking her position on the makeshift battlefield. She knew that Ash knew that Fire attacks were one of her weaknesses. But then again, she beat that Houndoom two years ago...Besides, she trusted Ash with her life after all. She was sure he knew what he was doing.

...mostly.

"Ok, Bayleef," Ash said, "right now, we're going to test your long range attacks, reaction time, speed and endurance. In terms of physical power...yeah, I'm pretty sure we're ok on that level." The teen laughed as he remembered all the times the over-affectionate Grass Type embraced him with her Body Slam.

"Pika pika," Pikachu chuckled nervously as Bayleef, knowing exactly what her Trainer meant, couldn't help but blush in pride and embarrassment.

"Anyways, for this battle, I'll be battling with you as Cyndaquil attacks you with his Fire attacks and other moves. We're going to see how you do battling a Fire Type."

"A good start, Ash," Oak complimented. He was quite surprised at how differently Ash was going about training now.

"Pika, Pikapi," Pikachu agreed.

"Ok, Cyndaquil?" Ash called over to his Johto Fire Type. "Just battle the way we usually do for now. Don't be afraid to hold back." At that, Bayleef sweatdropped in sheer nervousness. "You ready?"

"Quil!"

"You ready, Bayleef?"

"...Bay..."

"Don't worry, girl, I won't let you get hurt too bad. If you want to stop, just let me know. I'll understand."

Hearing that, something turned on in Bayleef's spirit. She wanted to prove to Ash that she was a strong battler, and if this was the kind of training to help her prove that, then forget her nervousness. She'd damn well make him proud! "Bay...LEEF!" she cried out, pawing the ground with her legs and now ready for battle.

"Whoa, Bayleef..." Ash said in surprise, before smirking and going right into battle mode. "Ok, then let's start off with Razor Leaf!"

"Bay...LEEF!" was the reply as Bayleef jumped into the air and swung her head, the leaf atop of it firing numerous rapidly spinning razor sharp leaves right in Cyndaquil's direction, whistling through the air as they spun closer and closer. Even with a type disadvantage, the attack looked like it would hurt if it hit...but Cyndaquil had no intention of letting that happen.

"Cynda...QUIL!" the small Fire Type cried out as he began spinning his body like a wheel. Barely a second after he began, flames erupted from his body and engulfed him, taking the shape of a spinning and burning wheel. Cyndaquil's Flame Wheel acted as the perfect shield as Bayleef's Razor Leaf burned out of existence upon impact.

"Bay..." Bayleef growled, not pleased by the results at all.

"Don't worry, Bayleef!" Ash encouraged. "Use Sweet Scent to lull Cyndaquil and then go for a Headbutt!" Bayleef quickly cried her affirmation and began manipulating her natural scent, sending the spicy fragrance into the air in a slightly pinkish cloud. Using her leaf as a fan, Bayleef sent the Sweet Scent floating in Cyndaquil's direction. Before he could react, Cyndaquil was engulfed in the fragrances and immediately felt calm and relaxed. His mind went into a bliss as he happily and softly mewed his species' name. All that mattered was the sweet smell. Was there something he was doing? Who cares? This fragrance was so damn good...but something in the back of his mind told him something was going on...

**POW!**

"Quil!"

Oh yeah, the battle...

"Way to go, Bayleef!" Ash cheered.

"Bay!"

Yep, that was Bayleef's Headbutt, Cyndaquil realized as he got back up. As strong as ever. He let his guard down because of that Sweet Scent, which was still in the air. He had to do something about that. "Quil!" he cried out as he unleashed a thick Smokescreen, the black smoke quickly engulfing his side of the battlefield and effective getting rid of the Sweet Scent. Being a Fire Type, Cyndaquil was used to such amounts of smoke, and could clearly see through the black thickness. Bayleef, however, wasn't and now that the entirety of Cyndaquil's half of the battlefield was covered in smoke, she had no idea where to expect Cyndaquil's attacks from.

"Stay calm, Bayleef," Ash said as encouragement to his Grass Type. "Just stay focused and let Cyndaquil come to you." Bayleef responded with a nod, fully trusting in her Trainer. And Cyndaquil did come to her...kind of.

"Cyndaquil!" Cyndaquil's cry rang out as he fired his Swift from the cover of the Smokescreen. Dozens upon dozens of shining and spinning golden stars flew across the battlefield, all aiming right at Bayleef.

"Here it comes-dodge, Bayleef!"

"Bay!" Bayleef quickly jumped to her left, avoiding the stars that quickly and easily bombarded and tore apart the spot where she had just been standing. Unfortunately, Cyndaquil wasn't letting his fellow Starter out of the woods yet.

"Cynda...QUIL!" Too late did Bayleef hear the cry as she turned and received a Flamethrower right to the face and body. The white hot flames dealt a good chunk of damage & pain, making Bayleef scream in pain as the Fire Type attack send her crashing into the ground, just inches away from Ash.

"Bayleef, are you ok?!" Ash cried out, worried for his Pokémon.

"Bay...Bayleef," she growled back as she got back up. She was really into the battle now.

"Ok, let's try to set up some defense. Light Screen, go!" Bayleef quickly affirmed the order as she formed a shiny golden yet translucent barrier of psychic energy around herself. Just in time, as well, as Cyndaquil fired an Extrasensory attack. Thankfully, the Light Screen took the brunt of the attack, shielding Bayleef from any real harm. "Ok, that's the way to do it!" Ash cheered. "Alright, Vine Whip into the smoke. Force Cyndaquil right out!"

"Bayleef!" Bayleef cried as she sent a pair of her vines into the smoke. Upon entering, she thrashed them around violently as she attempted to force Cyndaquil out. She did manage to do it...just not in the way she expected. Out of nowhere, Cyndaquil raced out of the Smokescreen, a bright light of energy streaking behind him. His target: guess who?

Luckily, Ash wasn't about to leave Bayleef to hang dry. "Time to use an old strategy. Use your vines to jump and dodge!" Bayleef smirked at the strategy and did just that, soon finding herself airborne as Cyndaquil zoomed under her. Cyndaquil wasn't about to give up just yet, though, and quickly launched himself into the air after her, streaks of white energy flowing from his snout. "That's Aerial Ace," Ash mused. Reverting back to his typical style of battle, he called out, "Meet him head on with Body Slam!" It was a testament of Bayleef's faith in Ash when she used her momentum as she came crashing down to meet Cyndaquil's Aerial Ace head on with her Body Slam. Seconds passed before the two impacted with a mildly resonating thud. Though Bayleef winced greatly from being hit with the Flying Type move, her superior physical strength won out and she overcame Cyndaquil, sending him crashing onto the ground as she landed on top of him.

"Way to go, Bayleef!" Ash cheered with Pikachu cheering as well. Before Bayleef could even respond, though, she suddenly felt an immense heat on her underbelly. A second later, she was in the air screaming as Cyndaquil became visible, his Flame Wheel having gotten Bayleef off of him. "Huh, that was pretty smart...nice one, Cyndaquil," Ash complimented with a huge grin.

"Cyndaquil!"

"Bayleef," the Grass type huffed as she struggled to get back on her feet. This battle was starting to take a toll on her. The same was going for Cyndaquil, who was also huffing and panting. Getting hit by physical attacks from Ash's Bayleef hurt like hell. But...that didn't mean he was going to give up. Light Screen or not, this next attack was going to hurt like a-

"Bayleef!" Bayleef cried out as she began gathering sunlight into her leaf, a glowing orb of solar energy forming in her maw.

"Cynda...!" Cyndaquil cried out as an inferno of glowing scarlet waves began surrounding his body.

"Lava Plume and Solarbeam," Ash muttered to himself, seeing his Pokémon's determination. He couldn't help but grin massively. This...this was what battling was about: Trainer and Pokémon working as one, together to the end and each seeking to make the other proud. "Alright you two," Ash yelled as he pumped his fist into the air, "let them rip!"

"LEEF!" A massive beam of solar energy was sent blasting across the field to Cyndaquil.

"QUIL!" A massive burst of intense scarlet flames flew at Bayleef searing and consuming everything in its path.

Both attacks hit head on and resulted in an explosion being unleashed that sent shockwaves and smoke ripping through the air. Ash and Professor Oak had to shield their faces, and the rest of Ash's Pokémon quickly ducked onto the ground to avoid the resulting explosion. A couple of dozen seconds passed before the smoke cleared, revealing a panting Bayleef and Cyndaquil, each one of them exhausted and yet ready to keep battling if Ash wished so.

"Ok, that's enough, you two," Ash called out as he walked onto the makeshift battle field. "You both gave it your all. And it was amazing. You two deserve a nice rest. Cyndaquil, you definitely have gotten quite a bit stronger, and you sure can battle well on your own without taking orders. That's a good skill to use, so good job!"

"Cyndaquil," the Fire Mouse Pokémon chirped happily.

"And Bayleef," Ash added as he turned to the Leaf Pokémon, "you handled the battle pretty well. You may have lost a bit of cool when Cyndaquil used Smokescreen, but you managed to hang in there. Light Screen was definitely a good move to have against long range attacks, and like always, your physical strength is great. So good job to you, too!"

"Bay..." Bayleef cooed with a smile...before suddenly becoming enveloped in a mesmerizing blinding white light, completely taking Ash, Oak and the other Pokémon by surprise. Bayleef's body began to grow in size, her neck getting longer and her tail and legs extending. The leaves on her neck began opening into petals, and the leaf on her head disappeared as two plant likes stems took its place. Ash simply stood there in awed shock, before a massive grin found itself a place on his face and laughter began to come out. Finally, the light died down, revealing Bayleef was gone. In her place was a lime green skinned sauropod like Pokémon by the name of...

"Megan...Meganium?"

"No way...Bayleef, you evolved into Meganium!" Ash said in pure joy.

"Pika-Chu!" Pikachu cheered along.

"Meg? Meganium!" Meganium responded in joy and pride as Ash took out his PokéDex.

_**"Meganium, the Herb Pokémon, and the evolved form of Bayleef. Meganium's breath has the power to revive dead grass and plants, making them healthy again. The aroma that rises from its petals contains a substance that calms aggressive feelings. *beep beep* Alert: this recently evolved Meganium now has the ability to use the move Frenzy Plant."**_

"My...Frenzy Plant is the most powerful Grass Type move there is," Oak remarked with a smile. "Excellent, Meganium, you should feel proud."

"Megan..." Meganium replied with a blush.

Pikachu and all the other Pokémon cheered and went over to congratulate Meganium on her achievement...everyone except for Sceptile.

'Great...are you freaking kidding me?' the Hoenn Grass Starter thought to himself, muttering and chewing on his twig. 'I have to live with a living reminder of..._her?!_'

Ash of course didn't notice this; he was too busy enjoying the fact he now had a Meganium. "This is just awesome, Professor. Meganium evolved, and learned a new move...this just has to mean that this training things I decided on was a great idea, after all! Man, I can't wait to start training with everyone!"

"My, you certainly are energetic," Oak laughed.

"You bet! Just wait, we'll be taking Sinnoh by storm and winning the Sinnoh League before you know it! Right guys?!" the teen called out to his Pokémon. In response, all of the, with Pikachu being the loudest of them all, cheered massively, ready to take on the next region Ash would head to with all their gusto and power and will. They would do it together.

Suddenly, Aipom, Totodile and Heracross went tumbling into the ground as Meganium, in all her joy and enthusiasm, had begun charging right for her Trainer. She was proud of her accomplishment and knew how proud Ash was too, and she wanted to share the moment with him. And what better way, she thought in her mind, than to share another hug, right? "Megan Megan Meganium!" Pikachu, seeing what she was doing, suddenly began crying out in panic and worry for Ash, and soon, all the other Pokémon followed suit as they saw Meganium charging at Ash. Oak, seeing what was happening, wisely jumped away...effectively leaving Ash to his doom as Meganium jumped into the air and right for him.

Ash simply stared in shock before sighing, telling himself, "I probably should've seen this coming," with a shrug and small smile.

**POW!**

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><p><em><strong>XXXXX-AN-XXXXX**_

_**Well, there's chapter 2, everyone, and I have to say I am quite pleased with how this is going so far...but then again, I wrote it myself, so my opinion would be a bit biased. So of course, I want to hear what you guys think. Opinions on the battle at the end are welcome, as well as any feedback since I'm only written out a few battles before this one. What did you think about Ash' s plan to train up his Pokémon and get himself ready for the outside world? And yes, Bayleef finally evolved; I mean, I think it'd be about time that she evolve, and you can imagine how physically powerful she is now as a Meganium. Oh and all the Tauros...You know, many people would be like, "Let's trade 'em away," while others say, "We'll just focus on the battler."**_

_**I'm like, "I'll be unique and use them all!" It'll be hard to give them all screen time, though...**_

_**Also, as you see, Primeape is coming back!**_

_**Now, in a review, I was asked if I'm doing the movies in the D&P series. The answer is yes, I am...just with my own few twists…especially with Master of Illusion, being how off the timeline it seemed. I was also asked what Generations I'm including and if Fairy Types exist here. So that everyone knows, I am only going up to Gen 4 in terms of Pokémon, with some exceptions (mainly my take on Zoroark: Master of Illusion), and Gen 4 in terms of moves, with some Gen 5 occasionally. In regards to Fairy types...well, though I do like how some Pokémon became better and stronger since the typing was introduced, and some of the moves are good, and that it has immunity to one of the strongest types out there, I feel that it was a waste of a typing. Seriously, some of these Fairy Types don't even look like Pokémon at all...and plus, who was the genius to make Granbull a Fairy? That doesn't look like a Fairy to me. Why not come up with a typing like...I don't know...Dinosaur? Seriously, I can think of a number of Pokémon that actually look like dinosaurs to pull off & fit the Type (Venusaur line, Meganium line, Torterra, most fossil Pokémon, Lapras, the Aggron line, Tyranitar, Tropius...)**_

_**Anyways...Thanks for reading and be sure to leave a review. I welcome all constructive criticism, feedback and the like. Flames are ignored...unless I find it pitifully pathetic, in which case I will pick it apart and explain everything WRONG with said flame.**_

_**Don't worry, I'll only spend at most three or four more chapters on Ash staying in Pallet and training and preparing. We'll be off to Sinnoh soon enough. And as for the Legendary Ash will be getting (I have decided it will appear)...I'll leave it a surprise for future chapters, but it'll be arriving before you know it. A lot of you really think that it's Mewtwo...quite the popular choice, it seems...**_

_**Alright, next chapter, the band gets back together! Until next time, readers.**_


	3. Getting the Band Back Together!

_**Alright, and we're back. Again, I thank everyone who's left suggestions and advice, who's reviewed, and all that stuff. I seriously keep getting surprised at how popular this is. Now, I would like to just say I would've published this chapter a lot sooner had it not been for some...obstacles (well besides just being lazy). During some planning for the story, specifically for the arcs of the Lake Trio, I came across something that really stumped me and honestly almost shut down the story. It was really something unexpected, but with the absence of a few characters from the canon plot in this story, it did make for some difficulty. What was the obstacle?**_

_**Uxie.**_

_**Yep, Uxi; since Brock isn't going to show up in Sinnoh until the LOTV Conference, I came at a loss of who should fill that role and make that plotline roll on as usual. Sure, I've changed that plot for this story quite a bit, but that part is still a staple part to that plot. Anyways I fixed it and found another character to take that role, but for those reading this and also doing their own D&P rewrites, I suggest tackling this problem soon if you haven't already.**_

_**Alright, enough from me, let's get on to the story!...and yes it's going to be a very long chapter.**_

_**Also, here's a key for the occasions when we go into Pokémon POV (it'll be on an occasional basis):**_

"Human speech."

'Human thought.'

"_Pokémon speech."_

'_Pokémon thought.'_

_***Insert Disclaimer here...***_

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><p><em><strong>Note: After some helpful tips, I've trimmed this chapter down in size a bit, hence the notification of an update.<strong>_

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Getting the Band Back Together! *Version 2*<p>

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><p><strong>*Ketchum Residence, Pallet Town, morning of next day*<strong>

"Pikapi."

...snore...

"...Pika Pikapi."

"...hmmmaa...five more min...zzzzz..."

"...pika..."

...snore...snore...

"Pika...CHUUU!"

"AAAAHHHHHH!"

**THUD!**

"Ash?" Delia's voice called out up the stairs. "Are you ok up there, honey?"

"Yeah, Mom, everything's fine," Ash shakily called back, electricity crackling and coursing across his body, his skin charred a slight black as he sat up on the floor. "Everything's just fine." On his bed sat a snickering Pikachu, his cheeks still crackling with electricity. "Very funny, Pikachu," the teen muttered. "You really couldn't give me five more minutes?"

"Pika Pikachu Kachu Pi!" Pikachu replied as he pointed to the window. The sun was firmly in the sky as a scant number of pure clouds lazily crept across the sky. A Pidgey flock could just barely be made off in the distance and a few people could be seen walking the streets of Pallet Town.

"Ok, it's morning, so what?" Ash huffed as he got up, the static electricity now dying down. He then gained a look of realization and quickly looked at the time; his alarm clock, which happened to be off, read 9:17 AM. "AHH! I told the others I'd be there by 8!" the teen cried out as he quickly grabbed his towel from his closet and headed for the bathroom.

"Pika..." Pikachu sighed, shrugging his small shoulders. They'd definitely have to work on getting Ash to wake up earlier...although he himself also didn't exactly keep to the new schedule either. Oh well, they'd fix that soon. With that the Electric Type jumped off of the bed and for the desk on Ash's wall to grab the notebook Ash had kept his training plan and details written after the mock battles from yesterday.

As Ash quickly got ready for the day, the only things in his mind were about the training he and his Pokémon would be doing. He was very excited, to put it lightly. Having a massive training session with all his Pokémon was something Ash really looked forward to, and with the help of Professor Oak and Tracy, and not to mention some of his older Pokémon like Charizard and Primeape, the teen knew that he and his Pokémon would only grow by leaps and bounds. He definitely had a number of plans to try out in regards to the training too, thanks again to the Professor. Last night upon coming home, Ash had realized that he definitely had to change up his usual training style, which usually just included mock battles and firing attacks. Professor Oak helped him realize that though that was good in and of itself, as a Trainer he had to also train up the Pokémon themselves.

The mock battles between his Pokémon helped Ash see that many of his Pokémon needed a more versatile set of attacks, and that many of them could use much work in building up stamina and endurance. Professor Oak had also advised him that he train his Pokémon up in terms of defensive power, and after taking that into consideration, Ash saw he had a point. Apart from Snorlax, not many of his Pokémon could tank for a long time in a battle and get a grinding win. Some of them had the capability like Muk and maybe Kingler, but they hadn't been trained in that kind of style to fully utilize it. Ash had decided to make a list of all of his Pokémon and noticed something: as a Trainer, he seemed to fit into the category of a Sweeper, focusing quite a lot on speed and power, and most of his Pokémon easily reflected that. Donphan, Muk and Kingler had the capability of a strong defense, and Corphish would as well upon his evolution, but Ash hadn't trained them in such a manner. The teen decided that though speed and power would always be a core part of his battling style and strategy, he would definitely have to start focusing on aspects like a good defense.

And now, with a new day ready to begin, Ash had a few game plans up his sleeve in dealing with that department. Before leaving the ranch yesterday, Oak had given Ash a great piece of information when he told him that the PokéDex not only showed the current moveset of a Pokémon, but also could show all the moves available for that particular Pokémon species to learn. The teen had spent a large amount of time reading up on the moves his Pokémon could potentially learn yesterday evening after dinner and well into the night...partially explaining his waking up late. But because of his dedication in learning as much as he could, Ash felt he had a solid foundation in which to start his training.

Ten minutes later, Ash was all set to go. Wearing his Hoenn and Battle Frontier attire, he grabbed his backpack and his hat, placing the latter on his usual wild raven locks. "Alright, ready Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu replied with gusto as he jumped onto his usual perch on Ash's shoulder, not without bringing the notebook in his mouth.

"Thanks, buddy! Can't forget this, right?" Ash remarked as he put the notebook in his backpack. The pair made their way downstairs and was quickly greeted by the sensual aroma of Delia's cooking. Delia herself was currently sitting at the kitchen table with her breakfast, a pink robe giving her some early morning warmth. Ash's mouth watered at the delicious sight of eggs, bacon and toast as he and Pikachu passed by the kitchen entry, and quickly made to get some food, but...

"Pikapi!" Pikachu quickly scolded as he whacked Ash in the head with his tail. "Pika Pika, Pika Chu Pi!" the Electric Type added as he pointed to the door and then the kitchen clock. Ash understood his Starter well enough: they were already running late and they had to make up for lost time.

"Ugh, fine," the teen relented as he rubbed the back of his head. Turning to kitchen he yelled, "Morning, Mom! I'm heading to Professor Oak's to start training with my Pokémon! I'll be back by dinner tonight!"

"Ok, honey!" Delia replied as she quickly went to the kitchen counter and grabbed a bag of food & a bottle for Ash and Pikachu. Quickly making her way to the door as Ash was about to leave, she handed both items to him and added, "I put this together for you since I thought you'd leave earlier...which is something I guess we'll have to work on, young man. Also this is for Pikachu, though I'm not sure if he still-..."

"Pi?" Pikachu interrupted as he sniffed the bottle, catching a familiar scent. Could it be...It was! "Pika!" he cried happily as he snatched the bottle from Ash's hands, almost literally tore the cap off and began gushing the red honey-like goodness down his anxiously waiting throat as if his life depended on it.

"Oh no, trust me, Mom," Ash replied with a sweat drop, "Pikachu still definitely loves ketchup."

"Yes, I see," Delia laughed. "Oh, don't forget that tonight your cooking lessons start, ok honey?"

"Got it, Mom," the teen replied. He made to leave the house only for his mother to grab him once again in her famous bear hugs. "Mom!"

"Oh, I just can't believe that you're growing up so fast, dear," Delia sighed as she held her son in her grasp for a few seconds. Pikachu had managed to escape by jumping onto the ground, his mind still mostly focused on his ketchup breakfast. "It seems like just yesterday you had come home from the Indigo Plateau after getting into the Top 16, an accomplishment to be proud of for someone just starting out." Delia's gaze then turned to the wall, and Ash's soon followed.

On the wall by the door there happened to be a number of photos taken by Delia through the times she could meet up with her son during his travels. Photos ranging from one of Ash dragging Pikachu on their first day; to Ash, Pikachu, Misty and Tracey posing with a Slowking and a friend named Melody in the Orange Islands; to Ash and Heracross battling Gary & Magmar in the Silver Conference; to one of Ash, May, Max, Brock, Misty and Tracey on the Oak Ranch decorated the wall, a trophy wall for Delia to show off her pride in her son.

"You've come so far in the last four years...and soon you'll be 15, and you'll be off on another new adventure. There's definitely more for you to see and experience out there, but I want you to know that no matter what, I will always be proud of you, Ash."

"Thanks Mom," Ash replied with a smile. "But I still know I can win this time. Just you wait, this time next year you'll have a photo of me winning the Sinnoh League and getting that trophy, me and all my Pokémon!"

"Pi Ka Chu!" Pikachu agreed with a grin of determination, the almost empty ketchup bottle in his paw.

"Well, just don't work yourself and your Pokémon too hard, dear," Delia reminded her son. She just couldn't help but smile; her son's enthusiasm was so contagious. She had always had faith in her son's abilities as a Trainer, and even though Ash had not won any Leagues up until this point, she was still proud of everything he had accomplished in his last four years as a Trainer, no matter what. However, something just seemed different about this time. The energy, passion and determination in her son's eyes and voice was like nothing she had witnessed before...not since her husband won his Championship battle in their youth. She had no idea how she knew, but she just did. This year, it was definitely going to end differently. Delia Ketchum just knew that that this time next year, there would be a Sinnoh League trophy sitting on this shelf. Delia sighed in content; if only her husband could see how far their son had come. She knew, though, that he was proud beyond words, wherever he was.

* * *

><p><strong>XXX<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>*Oak Labs, a few minutes later*<strong>

"Professor Oak, I'm here!"

"Ah, good morning Ash," the old man called out as he came out of one of the study rooms. "Good to see you; I did think you'd be here earlier though, especially with how excited you've been. You'll have to start putting more effort into getting up earlier in the day if you really plan on taking this training session seriously. The beginning of every Trainer's change of Training starts with changing his own habits."

"Yeah, I still have to work on that," Ash replied as he sheepishly laughed. However, he did know what Professor Oak was trying to say; here he was, all pumped up and excited about some intense training, and his Pokémon were motivated by him, and yet here he was not doing his full part. He needed to do better. He loved his sleep and hated waking up early, but Ash promised himself that he'd wake up earlier to help better himself as a Trainer.

...Now he just had to figure out how to wake up early enough.

Oak chuckled and continued, "Well, it will definitely be a challenge for you. Tracy should be finished with feeding the Pokémon; I'll be working on some things here in the Lab, in case you need any assistance. I'll let you know if Anthony and Officer Jenny arrive."

"Thanks, Professor." With that, Ash & Pikachu headed out to the back and entered the Ranch. "Alright, now where would everyone be?" Ash mused as he looked out into the vast openness. He could see the various wild Pokémon that inhabited the Ranch, the Pokémon of a number of Trainers that Professor Oak was responsible for...

"Pika Pikachu," Pikachu said as he pointed.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah I see them," the teen grinned as he followed the Electric Type's gesture, the familiar group of Pokémon standing around a certain Watcher near the Ranch lake. The pair quickly made their way towards the group. "Tracey! Hey guys!"

"Pika Pika!"

"Hmm? Oh, hey Ash," Tracey greeted with a grin when seeing who it was, the group of Pokémon also greeting their Trainer. "I'm guessing you overslept a bit, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm still definitely not used to waking up so-"

"Meganium!"

"AAAAAAHHH-!

**POWWW!**

"...I missed you too, Meganium..." Ash muttered, dazed by Meganium's usual greeting. Pikachu was lucky enough to see her coming and jump off Ash's shoulder to safety, and was now snickering at the sight of Meganium affectionately nuzzling Ash's face.

"Can't really blame her, Ash," Tracey chuckled as the Grass Type got off of him. "The entire gang has been getting a bit restless after waiting for you to show up."

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that," the Trainer replied sheepishly. "Sorry about that, guys, but hey, we still have an entire day ahead of us, so let's makes the best of it, alright?" He was met with determined cries and cheers. Ash's Pokémon were ready and willing to take on and handle whatever he threw at them.

Turning to Tracey he also added, "And Tracey, if you don't mind, could you maybe show me a few things about Pokémon food during lunch? Whatever you can, it'd be a great help for later on when I start travelling."

"Sure, no problem," the Watcher agreed. "I'm happy to help in any way I can.

"Thanks, Tracey. That would really be great."

"Alright, well you seem like you know what you're doing; I'll be over by the woods sketching a bit. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." As Tracey headed off, Ash returned his attention to his eager Pokémon. He had decided to simply start off with training them on one or two moves each, or improving on certain moves in the case of a few, until Charizard, Primeape and Squirtle showed up. Thanks to his intense digging in the PokéDex the night before, he had a basic idea of the moves he'd decided on training his Pokémon, though there was definitely room for any change. Ash reminded himself that he definitely needed to keep variety and versatility in mind, allowing for his Pokémon to adapt to any possible situation they were faced with in a battle.

Taking the cue from Ash's look, everyone gathered around him and awaited his command, Pikachu taking his rightful place on Ash's shoulder. As they gathered, Ash noticed something odd about Sceptile; the Hoenn Grass Starter had been heading to sit next to Heracross and Corphish, but stopped when Meganium sat beside them as well. Ash was surprised to see the scowl and look of resentment on his face before promptly sitting else away from her. That was definitely not normal for Sceptile and Ash made a mental note to speak to him about it later.

"Alright gang, our training starts now, so let's start off with some new moves. I'll be going around helping out any way I can, so don't worry because I'll be working with you all the whole day." The Pokémon gave their affirmative, and with that Ash started giving out attacks and moves for them to learn.

After the mock battles yesterday, Ash could see that though some of his Pokémon had learned some really good attacks and had the basic gist of them, they still somewhat struggled to properly perform & execute them. That was nothing a good amount of training couldn't fix though, and they had plenty of time. As a result, Ash had decided that Snorlax would work on improving Focus Blast, Meganium on her newly learned Frenzy Plant, and Muk on Fire Blast while also readying to start learning Shadow Ball once that was mastered. With some guidance and the basics under their belts, Ash was sure that it wouldn't be long before they were mastered completely.

As for the rest of his Pokémon, Ash had decided on a variety of attacks and moves to start training for. Donphan would learn Giga Impact, Swellow would learn Steel Wing and Ominous Wind, Noctowl would begin learning Aerial Ace and Silver Wind, and Totodile would be learning Dragon Dance as Ash figured his dancing skills would easily help him tap into the innate Dragon Type abilities within his species needed to learn this move. For Glalie, Ash had chosen Water Pulse; for Torkoal, Earth Power based on what Ash had seen during their battle against Brandon and Regirock. Ash had decided on both Pin Missile and Iron Defense for Heracross, Leaf Storm for Bulbasaur, and three moves for Corphish: Iron Defense, Dig and Metal Claw. He had chosen Double Team for Cyndaquil, Bounce and Iron Tail for Aipom (in all honesty, he found himself wondering how to incorporate her…flashy Contest-like battle style into her training), Hidden Power for Kingler, and he had decided to teach the entire herd one attack, Wild Charge. As for Pikachu, Ash had decided on training him to learn a Fighting Type attack, Brick Break; and for Sceptile, X-Scissor and Dragon Claw.

Speaking of Sceptile, Ash decided he had to confront the issue with him now before any training, on the chance that whatever it was that the Grass Type potentially had against Meganium wouldn't affect both their efforts. So, after relaying the day's plans to his Pokémon, he sent them off to the lake for a drink to refresh themselves, asking Sceptile to stay behind because he "needed to discuss something" with him. Sceptile, as a result, was confused as to what was needed to be discussed. Nonetheless, he trusted his Trainer and sat down on the grass in front of Ash when he sat first and gestured the Hoenn Starter to do the same.

"Ok, Sceptile, I know you're eager to start your training but first, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"Scep?"

"I saw the way you looked at Meganium earlier, like you were really mad at her...almost like you hated her. Buddy, I know you and you're never like that, so what's wrong? What made you do that?"

Sceptile's eyes widened in surprise and shock, the Pokémon momentarily caught off guard at the statement. This was soon, however, replaced by the painful memories of heartbreak that began bombarding his mind, the images of that Meganium ignoring both his advances and his sacrifice for her in favor of that Tropius...how much he ended up suffering because he wanted to be strong for her, but in the end she spit on his efforts...the Grass Type's face darkened as he grit his teeth, the twig he treasured in danger of snapping. His arms began tensing and shaking, his hands fisted as anger, hate and humiliation began raging inside of him.

Ash noticed this immediately and quickly moved to calm Sceptile down. "Whoa, Sceptile, what's wrong?!" he asked with worry. "Calm down! What's gotten into you?!"

"Sceptile Tile Sceptile Scep," came the response as the reptilian Pokémon looked away from his Trainer. He had to calm himself; he didn't want Ash to see him like this, not again.

"Hey, buddy, it's ok, I'm right here," Ash said calmly as he rubbed Sceptile's shoulder, trying to get him to relax. "You made me really nervous just now, Sceptile. I haven't seen you like this since-" And that was when it clicked for Ash, and it made sense. How did he not recognize it sooner? "Oh...this is about that Meganium you fell in love with a few months back, isn't it?"

At the mention of her, Sceptile flinched, but nodded. "Tile." Here he was, one of Ash's strongest Pokémon, a powerhouse able to stand on footing with a Pokémon thought to be on level with some Legendaries, as well as hold his own against a Regirock for an extended period of time...and he couldn't get over a rejection, even if it was his first.

"And Meganium reminds you of her, right?" Sceptile nodded. "And that brings back all the memories and feelings with them." Another nod. Ash sighed as he tried to think of the words to say. This wasn't exactly his field of expertise; he was barely able to work with human relationships.

Ash had started realizing there was more to life than Pokémon & noticing girls late into his Johto travels, specifically in the Silver Conference when he had his...encounters with that Fire Type Trainer he met, Macy Moe. It had led to him to start questioning her behavior, which led to a talk with Brock since Ash knew he clearly understood this kind of thing better. With puberty hitting him after turning 13 and arriving in Hoenn, Ash had started noticing girls more and begun to notice the changes his body started going through; thankfully Brock was around all those times to help him understand what he was going through and the thoughts that would run through his mind, helping him if he were a bit scared about something such as when his voice started changing a bit after he defeated Noland **(A/N: CAST CHANGE REFERENCE! Thought I'd toss that in)**. Of course, with Ash being Ash, it was still a slow progress but Brock was definitely patient with the teen, and so Ash, though still a bit inexperienced in certain areas, was not as dense about romance and girls as he used to be. Although, Brock would always point out that though he was glad to help, he'd eventually have to talk about it with his mother. Ash would rather talk to his father about it, but he hadn't seen him in person in years, and though he did get calls from the older Ketchum male on occasion, Ash didn't want to discuss something like this over the videophone. But back to the point: it took a while, but Ash was getting less and less dense, noticing something going on between May and Drew (though he really didn't like what was going on there...), seeing the difference in Brock gushing over Pike Queen Lucy as compared to other women and her surprising return of said emotions, and even noticing that May had a small bit of a crush on him.

Of course, even though Ash wasn't so dense, he still had to be...pushed in the right direction on occasion to see things, which was the case when Sceptile met and fell in love with a Meganium as a Grovyle. After Drew pointed out Sceptile's dilemma with his attacks, Ash began to see and understand better what Sceptile was dealing with, with some help from Brock, and realized the Grass Type was still dealing with the heartbreak. Although he regained his abilities, Ash could see that Sceptile wasn't the same since, and Bayleef evolving had brought everything back into the open. Ash, as Sceptile's Trainer and friend, knew he had to help him out with this not just because it could affect Sceptile's battles, but because it could change Sceptile drastically.

"Sceptile, you know that romance and love isn't exactly my strongest point, but I understand enough of it to know you're still not over that Meganium," Ash started, gaining Sceptile's attention. "You're still hurt and embarrassed by it, and you've kept it all inside you. I know that seeing my Meganium made all those memories come back...but buddy, that Meganium isn't my Meganium. Your friend, a part of your family...she isn't like that Meganium. She's not going to hurt you, ever. Meganium is one of the most loving Pokémon I've ever met, and she'd never try to upset you on purpose. You know that, right?"

Sceptile stared at his Trainer, soaking up his words before sighing and nodding. He knew that none of his fellow Pokémon would want to hurt him.

"I know that other Meganium hurt you, but don't take it out on your friend," Ash smiled as he looked off to see what Meganium was doing with Sceptile following his gaze. They could see the Johto Grass Starter cheerfully chatting away with Swellow. "Give her a chance, alright? I promise you that she's nothing like that other one. Not every Meganium is the same, especially mine."

Sceptile was silent for a few moments before he sighed and nodded. "Tile Sceptile." He knew that Ash was right that this Meganium was nothing like that other one. Besides, he got along fine with her when she was a Bayleef, and she seemed nice and friendly enough in the few days he had known her. They could easily be good friends. It'd be difficult because of the fact she'd be a constant reminder of bad memories...

Sensing what the Pokémon was feeling, Ash continued, "Hey, I doubt it'll be overnight. Just remember: we're all family and she's your friend."

"Tile."

"Alright, ready to start your training?"

"Sceptile!"

"Ok then," Ash grinned, glad that he had helped out his Pokémon for now. Sending the Grass Type off to join the others and refresh himself as well, Ash still couldn't help but sigh in thought. He knew that dealing with Sceptile's issue would quite the process, but he was willing to help out his Pokémon in any way. In fact, an inkling of a plan was starting to formulate in his head, a plan based on a move he was sure Sceptile could learn that only one of his other Pokémon knew...a very specific one...

But that was for later. For now, it was time to train.

* * *

><p><strong>XXX<strong>

* * *

><p>"Man…I'm exhausted…"<p>

"Pika Pikachu…"

"Ok…everyone," Ash called out, "let's take a little break." With that, he plopped onto the steps leading up to the Lab's back patio, his body aching and tiring. It could never be said that Ash didn't take training his Pokémon very seriously. It was a known fact among his friends that he would train right alongside them no matter what; the few days before his rematch with Brawly and the rematch against Anabel being prime examples. Of course, this made it obvious that Ash was used to vigorously training his Pokémon. The most he had ever handled at once, though, was a full team of six. Training side by side with almost 30 Pokémon, though, and dividing his time and attention and energy into making sure they were each trained to the best of their abilities…it definitely put a bit of a strain on the 14 year old since this was something he was used to doing.

Nevertheless, the results were well worth it. They had only been training for a little more than two hours and his Pokémon were making good progress. Snorlax, Muk and Meganium had made excellent progress in perfecting their attacks; and Totodile was easily able to learn Dragon Dance. Donphan had easily mastered Giga Impact and Glalie had almost made it to perfecting Water Pulse. These were just a few of the accomplishments that Ash's Pokémon had made, showing the fruits of their labor

Of course, all training sessions have their obstacles and hindrances, and Ash had to deal with quite a few of them. Bulbasaur's duty of being the mediator between the Grass and Water Pokémon on the Oak Ranch caused him to constantly stop his training and deal with whatever issue came up, thus keeping him from making as much progress as he wanted. Sceptile, though mastering X-Scissor with relative ease, was finding it much harder to tap into the draconic energies buried within himself, thus making Dragon Claw a continuous frustration for him; still, though, the Hoenn Starter was not one to give up. Aipom, while still training, would usually slip into some flashy moves; and Kingler was having a lot of difficulty getting the hang of Hidden Power.

There were also the constant quirks that most of his Pokémon had. What with Aipom stealing his hat on more than one occasion, Muk's over affection, Heracross and Bulbasaur bickering about the former feasting on the latter's bulb, and a few other instances, the training session certainly had its moments.

And then there was something else that caused a bit of a problem in the training session, one that Ash was berating himself over because of it: the overall condition of his Pokémon. Everyone knew that Pokémon, as creatures and opposed to humans, had much more strength and energy and stamina to use; this was due to the fact that these beasts of nature bending power needed large reserves of power to call upon such attacks. Battling and training helped mold and form that power to its best. However, when not used for so long, those very same reserves of strength and power could wane and slowly diminish & weaken, just as muscle mass when a human doesn't exercise on a steady basis. And now, Ash was seeing that very thing happening before his eyes. His Pokémon were powerful and well-versed in performing their attacks, but the simple fact was that since many of them hadn't been used in real and limit-pushing battles in so long, their energy reserves had diminished somewhat, resulting in a lot of Ash's Pokémon having to take an occasional break to regain their breath and stamina. Yes, they may have done their own methods of training while Ash was out exploring the world and the instincts that came with being a Pokémon, but it would never compare to the kind of dedicated and fulfilling training that a Trainer themselves provides his Pokémon.

He needed to start training his Pokémon to regain all that power and energy needed to be at their best; he needed to start them on real exercise on top of what they did while he was gone. The few Pokémon that seemed to not be as out of shape, for lack of a better term, were Sceptile, Swellow and Corphish for their constant training and battling for the last two years; Pikachu because of him journeying, training and surviving with Ash for the last five years; the Tauros herd thanks to their constant stampeding and running; Donphan due to his return to the team; and Aipom due to her being recently caught.

The Tauros gave Ash an idea on how to start an exercise regiment...running could do everyone a good help...

Despite all these obstacles, though, there was one factor that did help in all of this: the closeness and unity of Ash's Pokémon. Though training almost 30 Pokémon at once was difficult and some of the attacks he chose to teach them were also difficult, his Pokémon helped each other out, thus making this a bit much easier. Donphan was helping Kingler get the hang of Hidden Power, showing the Water Type how the attack worked; the Tauros were given some help thanks to Pikachu, who showed them via his Volt Tackle how Wild Charge would more or less work and helping them generate sufficient electricity. All his Pokémon would not hesitate to pitch in and help each other out in improving and getting stronger, which definitely helped Ash in training everyone.

Despite their Trainer being tired and exhausted, most of the Pokémon weren't willing to rest and still wanted to train. Seeing their enthusiasm and not wanting to disappoint them, Ash sent them off to continue training on their own and with each other. Within minutes, thanks to Aipom's flash and mischief, their self-training turned into an attack version of dodge ball.

"Well, everything seems to be going on pretty well," Tracey commented as he sat down beside the Trainer. "And you certainly aren't slacking in doing your part.

Ash nodded in agreement, "One of the best ways to help a Pokémon train is to train right alongside them. Although," he added with a frown, "they are struggling a bit, a lot of them."

"I kind of noticed that, yeah," Tracey replied as he also gazed upon the massive Ranch. "They may have been active while here but it's been a while since many of them have been in real battles or trained this hard."

"I'm definitely going to have to do something about that; get in a lot more exercise for them and stuff."

"That's a good idea. The Professor says that many of the top tier Trainers of the world have their Pokémon undergo rigorous physical training to make sure they're at their best. Do you have anything specific in mind?"

"Well, seeing the Tauros running all the time got me thinking about running laps, but other than..." was as far as Ash got before the two young men were taken by the distant sounds of sirens, low at first but gaining volume with each second, almost as if it were coming closer. "You hear that?"

"Yeah, it sounds like sirens," Tracey replied. "Wait-hold on, there's another sound, like an engine." Sure enough, the rumblings of what sounded like bike engines along with the sirens.

And that was when it clicked for Ash. "Of course, it's Officer Jenny from Vermillion City!" Without another moment to wait, the teen (his exhaustion miraculously disappearing) dashed back inside the Lab and raced off for the front doors, catching Professor Oak by surprise as he ran past, who had coincidentally also heard the sirens and had made to go fetch the young Trainer. Ash, meanwhile, had already raced down the stairs leading to the Lab entrance and reached the gates just in time for a police motorcycle screech to a halt, driven by an attractive teal-haired woman wearing Vermillion Police attire with a small turtle Pokémon accompanying her.

"Officer Jenny," he greeted as he approached the two. "It's great to see you again!"

"Likewise, Ash," the officer replied with a kind smile. "I have to admit, I was surprised to hear from you so soon again, but it's not a problem, especially for Squirtle here."

"Squirtle!" the Tiny Turtle Pokémon cried in joy as he jumped off the bike and right for his Trainer-shell, shades and all.

"Hey, good to see you again, Squirtle!" Ash laughed as the two hugged it out. "How's the Squad doing?"

"Squirt Squirtle."

"Guess it's doing well. Officer Jenny did tell you why I called back for you, right?" Squirtle nodded, his shades glistening in the morning sun. "Alright then, you ready for some intense training, buddy, and ready to win the Sinnoh League with me and the gang?" With a cry of determination, Squirtle nodded and pumped his fist, showing just how excited he was for what was ahead for them. Together he and his Trainer were going to take Sinnoh by storm, just as they did the Orange Islands!

"Speaking of which, Ash," Jenny interrupted, regaining their attention, "I need to speak with you about that. See, since you're going to be training with Squirtle for the next month, and add the fact that you'll likely going to be calling up on him a lot a in Sinnoh, you're really going to need him now more than ever. Because of that, the rest of the Squad thought it would be better that Squirtle stay with you for your journey. So after some discussion, the Squad is going to be going on without your Squirtle."

This was certainly a surprise for Ash. "Really? Is that true, buddy?" he asked Squirtle, who nodded his agreement. Turning to Jenny, he couldn't help but ask, "But doesn't the Squad need him?"

"Well, they've already learned as much as they could from their old leader. They're able to take the lead on their own now," Jenny replied. "Besides, they see that you need him more than they do. He'll be missed, definitely, but the time's come for the others to be on their own, now. Your Squirtle already chose another leader, so it's official."

"Wow...thanks, Officer Jenny." Ash had to admit, this turn of events did make things easier for him in the long run. He did feel a bit bad that Squirtle wouldn't be seeing his old pals anymore, but they had made their choice. He was going to make sure that they wouldn't regret it. "We won't let you down, right Squirtle?" The Water Type gave his agreement, flashing his grin. "Make sure to watch out for us on the Sinnoh League!"

"Trust me, we wouldn't miss it," Jenny smiled. After some more small talk, the woman bade Ash and Squirtle farewell, the latter even tearing up a bit since he'd miss her; after all, they'd been teammates for the last few years. "Take care, you two, and show them what we're made of here in Kanto!" she called back to them as she raced off back toward Vermilion, the other two waving their farewell; soon enough, she was gone.

"Well, that's that," Ash sighed as he and Squirtle met each other's gaze. "It all starts now. I know that we battled together just recently and that we did some intense training with Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Charizard before that battle, but this is something different. Squirtle, I really think that this time, it's going to happen; we can do this, we can win the Sinnoh League, and I know that we can do it together with the others as the team and family we are. I know I can count on you, pal, so let's do this and show Sinnoh what we're made of!" Motivated by his words, Squirtle replied with determination, feeling pumped and ready for training, the fire in his eyes only hidden by the trademark shades he wore. "Oh, before I forget," Ash added as he took out his PokéDex, "I want to check out your moveset so I can see what we have to work with, and if you can maybe help out any of the others."

_'Hmm, this is new,_' Squirtle thought, noticing how quickly Ash was getting to the point. He could tell that his Trainer was really getting serious about training. That was alright with him; he needed a good battle training session. "Squirtle," he nodded, and with that Ash quickly scanned the Water Type.

_**Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. Squirtle shelters itself in its shell, then strikes back with spouts of water at every opportunity. Though soft at birth, the shell will become so resilient that prodding fingers will bounce off it. This Squirtle is male and has the ability Withdraw. Currently this Squirtle knows the moves Water Pulse, Skull Bash, Rapid Spin, Withdraw, Hydro Pump, Bubble Beam, Zen Headbutt, Bite and Aqua Ring.**_

"Wow, four new moves," Ash grinned as he looked back at the obviously proud Squirtle. "You've really gotten a whole lot stronger these last few weeks. I can't wait to see you in action during training."

"Squirtle Squirt Squirt," Squirtle grinned.

"C'mon, the rest of the gang is waiting for you, and we still have two others who are coming later." With that, the two enthusiastically headed back into the Lab and through, making their way to the Oak Ranch out back and Ash called out to his Pokémon to greet Squirtle.

Pikachu and Bulbasaur were the first to dash on over, with Squirtle running to meet them head on. The three old friends happily greeted each other, the fact that they had been together only weeks before of no importance right now as they laughed and started playing almost immediately. They were among the oldest of Ash's Pokémon, but just like the rest of Ash's Pokémon, they had that childish and playful nature that was hidden inside. The other Pokémon soon came on over and greeted their arriving teammate; Squirtle was glad to see his old friends again, and was just as glad to meet new ones as he finally became acquainted with Ash's Hoenn team. Ash smiled at the sight of his Pokémon, seeing them all act like the huge family that they were.

"They certainly are catching up quite well," Professor Oak chuckled as he and Tracey approached Ash. "With how energetic your Squirtle is, this training session is certain to be much more...well, interesting to say the least."

"I'll say," Ash agreed. "I wonder who'll prank who first, Squirtle or Bulbasaur?" Memories of the two's antics flashed into his mind, making him chuckle.

As the greetings ended, all the Pokémon then turned back expectantly towards their Trainer, Squirtle being the first. Ash immediately understood what they wanted: to carry on with their training. Feeling a second wind of energy coursing through him, he grinned and pumped his fist. "Alright guys, back to some good ol' training!"

* * *

><p><strong>XXX<strong>

* * *

><p>Ash and his Pokémon continued to train for another two hours, reaping even more results, with Professor Oak offering the occasional bit of advice before having to return to his office and take a call from a fellow Regional Professor. With the addition of Squirtle now in the team, all of Ash's Water Types greatly benefited, as did everyone else thanks to the amount of experience he had. As time passed, everyone made significant progress; Glalie had finally mastered Water Pulse and both Swellow and Noctowl had mastered Steel Wing and Aerial Ace, respectively, now working with Ash to master Ominous Wind and Silver Wind. Bulbasaur had also managed to master Leaf Storm, and Sceptile had finally made significant progress in learning Dragon Claw. This motivated Totodile to also take up the attack, which ended Ash's internal debate on teaching the Water Type either that or Dragon Pulse.<p>

Soon it was time for lunch, and as the Pokémon happily ate, Tracey kept true to his promise in helping Ash learn a few things about Pokémon Food. This had also led into a mini-lesson in which Ash learned a bit more about Pokémon across the Ranch, most including species he had encountered before and was sure to encounter again at some point in time. Ash had to admit, this was a bit overwhelming, and he was surprised that Brock had managed to retain all this information during their four years of travelling. Nonetheless, he committed himself to absorbing as much as he could because this information was going to be vital for him to remember when he started traveling through Sinnoh. With no one to rely on this time except himself, Ash needed to remember this information if he was going to be taking care of his Pokémon, those he already had and the ones he was sure to catch over there.

He decided that when he made it to Sinnoh, he would try and find Gary and thank him for giving him that pep talk and getting him back on track for what he needed to be doing as a Trainer. None of his plans for training would be possible without him...although he probably wouldn't be wording it like that. His old rival-turned back to-childhood friend already had a large ego as it was.

Suddenly, Professor Oak came out, running over to where Ash and Pikachu were now enjoying their lunch. "Ash, my boy! Good news-Anthony and Primeape have just arrived!"

"Really?! Awesome!" Quickly placing his hat back on, Ash immediately scrambled onto his feet with Pikachu jumping back onto his shoulder. "C'mon buddy, time to see an old friend again!" Pikachu replied with joy as the two followed the Professor back towards the Lab, Tracey staying behind to keep an eye on the Pokémon. All the while they made their way inside, Ash couldn't help but grow ecstatic about seeing one of his old Pokémon again. Of course, the old guilt of having basically forgotten about Primeape still lingered within him, but he had been given a second chance to make things right with the Fighting Type, and Ash was going to take full advantage of this opportunity. He was not going to fail his Pokémon anymore, any of them, and he was going to ensure that with Primeape.

Scant seconds later, the teen and Electric Type followed Oak into the Lab's main lounge area, where three individuals were currently sitting waiting for him. One was a large tan-skinned brolic man with a sweater and training sweatpants, with a very large grin on his face. The second was a young brunette woman of about 18 or 19, slender and quite attractive. And the third was a medium sized ape-like Pokémon with a pig snout and the P1 Champion belt on his waist. Immediately upon their arrival, said Pokémon's eyes instantly lit up and he swiftly jumped off the couch he had been on, raced up to Ash and immediately...proceeded to knock the wind out of him with a punch to the gut, grabbing his hat right after.

"Good to see you too, Primeape," Ash wheezed as he clutched his stomach, the Pig Monkey Pokémon snorting and eye smiling joy. That made it twice today that the affection of his Pokémon...rattled him. He had no idea how he was so resistant to these kinds of things, but he wasn't complaining. At least he knew Primeape hadn't changed a bit, at least in terms of greeting him, or with the hat thing.

"Hahaha, same old Primeape, eh kid?" Anthony Anoki laughed as he grabbed Ash into a friendly side hug, somewhat suffocating him with his large muscles. "It's great to see you again after all these years, Ash. I can see you're doing pretty well, and you still have that Pikachu with you, I see." Petting the Mouse Pokémon between the ears, he continued, "It's great to see you again too, Pikachu."

"Pika Pikachu!" he replied with a smile. He always did love the attention he got when he was petted between the ears. He then promptly went over to Primeape and the two instantly began catching up on the four years they had been apart. Sure, the Fighting Type may have been somewhat...problematic when they first met, but both Pokémon had grown and matured over four years, and were easily able to be on friendly terms, especially having the same Trainer.

"It's great to see you too, Anthony," Ash grinned as he escaped the larger man's grasp, still rubbing a hand over his own stomach; thanks to the ridiculous endurance he had somehow been blessed with, Primeape's blow didn't hurt him as much now. Turning to the young woman that had been with Anthony, he smiled and extended his hand, "And it's nice to see you too, Rebecca. It's been a long time."

"It has, and it's good to see you too," Rebecca smiled as she took Ash's hand and shook it. As they did so, the younger teen couldn't help but notice how very pretty the young woman was, much more so than she was when they had first met. Her voiced was also much more elegant and softer, and he couldn't help but notice, as they shook hands, how soft her skin was against his fingers. Being a teenage boy, Ash was quick to notice that Rebecca was quite attractive and instincts took over as they ended the handshake, with Ash's sight lingering on her for just a second longer as she went over to Primeape. He quickly regained his bearing, though, snapping out of that thought process before it went any further. Sure, he was a teenage boy, but he wasn't going to be going all "Brock-like." He had been raised better than that; he couldn't fight the small blush rising on his face, though. He hoped that nobody noticed.

Thankfully, it seemed that no one did as Anthony patted Primeape on the back and said, "Ash, I have to tell you, this Primeape of yours is really one of a kind. I've never trained a Pokémon like him before; he really turned the potential I saw in him into a strength like I've never seen. Ash, I want to thank you for the opportunity to train Primeape all these years. It's an experience that I'll never forget."

"Sure, and I should be thanking you actually," Ash chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "You were able to bring out the best in Primeape, and you took care of him all these years. And now he's the P1 Champion, all thanks to you. I'm glad that you were able to do so much for him." Turning to Primeape, Ash smiled and continued, "Primeape, I'm sorry I was never there to support you for all this time, but I want you to know that I'm very proud of you, and I'm glad you're giving me another chance for us to be a team together. I promise you, I'm going to do the best that I can to bring out your full power in our journey and our battles. It's great to have you back, and I know that we'll be taking Sinnoh by storm."

"Prime Primeape," Primeape replied as he placed Ash's hat back on his head, then raised his gloved fist to Ash, with the two of them fist bumping. He was very excited for what was to come in the future. A journey into the unknown...all Primeape had really known was the P1. Travelling with Ash would show him a whole new world with new Pokémon, and new opponents to face, and that was something he was dying to experience.

"Haha, I can't wait to see you two kicking ass in Sinnoh," Anthony laughed. "You make sure to show them what we're made of here in Kanto! Speaking of which, kid, you look like you need to start working out more." He gave the teen a once over, smirking to himself. "You have a decent enough build, from all your years of walking and traveling, no doubt...still, you could add on a bit more muscle. You won't be getting any ladies like this. Primeape, you'll be having a bit of work with this one," he laughed, with Primeape joining in, both at the blush that now covered Ash's face thanks to the "ladies" remark.

"Oh, Dad, he looks fine for a 14 year old," Rebecca added, turning to Ash. "Ignore him; you look good for your age-better than the boys I knew at 14. I'm sure any girl your age would be lucky to be with you." She couldn't help but giggle a bit as his blush deepened at her words.

Even though he could see that that Ash was having a field day, Professor Oak couldn't help but chuckle at his predicament. He knew the young man well enough all these years to know that one day, he'd make a young woman very lucky, indeed. If the example of Ash's father was anything to go by, he was definitely going that direction. Of course, at this time of life, Ash was focused on the current goal of his life: being a Pokémon Master. Still, this was the time of the teen's life when he was definitely learning that life wasn't all just Pokémon battles and gym badges. It was definitely probably a conflicting time for Ash, and Oak wondered if Ash, though he had been traveling with Brock and had no doubt been helped in this by the older Breeder, knew how to deal with these new changes in his life. He made a mental note to speak to Delia about this later.

For now, though, there were other things to tend to, and Oak and Ash had some more conversation with Anthony & Rebecca before the latter two finally had to depart. They said their farewells to Primeape, letting know they'd miss him and were proud of him, and that they'd be cheering for him in his battles in Sinnoh, with Primeape even shedding a few tears since he'd definitely miss his friends of four years. Oak and Ash said their farewells as well, seeing them to their car as the young Trainer promised to keep the Anoki family up to date with how Primeape was and thanked them once more for all they had done for the Pig Monkey Pokémon. Anthony grabbed the teen in a giant beat hug, and even Rebecca gave Ash a hug in farewell, further making him blush and somewhat uncomfortable, something Oak was amused to see. Finally, the two drove off and Ash, Oak and Primeape headed back out to the Oak Ranch, were all of Ash's Pokémon were now waiting with Tracey for their Trainer to introduce them to their teammate and new friend.

Bulbasaur and Squirtle were the first two to approach Primeape due to being the only one of the entire team besides Pikachu to know him; the three happily greeted each other and acknowledged just how much they'd all grown. Ash then introduced him to the rest of his team, who all happily greeted him and helped him get acquainted with each other. Primeape could easily see that many of these Pokémon were great battlers...maybe a tad bit wet behind the ears, but some of them he knew had a ton of power, namely the Sceptile and Torkoal. And he couldn't forget about Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Squirtle; those three had some real power to wield, Pikachu most of all. He could see that he was going to fit in quite well in the newly grown family...though, there was someone missing. He remembered a Charmander being a part of the team back then...

"Primeape looks like he's getting along great with everyone," Ash grinned.

"Indeed, and he's mellowed out a bit as well," Oak agreed. "He'll definitely be a great asset for your battles, as well as an excellent addition. Are you going to scan him for his moveset?"

"Oh right. Primeape, come on over here for a minute," Ash called. When the Fighting Type came over to his Trainer, Ash explained what he wanted to do and Primeape agreed, pride instantly filling up every part of his being. In the last four years as he trained and strengthened himself to be the champion he was today, he had learned and improved on moves he had learned and master. His current moveset was one he was definitely proud of, and he was positive that Ash would be quite impressed as well.

_**Primeape, the Pig Monkey Pokémon and the evolved form of Mankey. Primeape grows angry if you see it and gets angrier if you run. If you beat it, it gets even madder. This Primeape is male and has the ability Vital Spirit. Currently this Primeape knows the moves Cross Chop, Bulk Up, Thrash, Dig, Double Team, Close Combat, Stone Edge, Mega Punch, Focus Blast, Thunderpunch, Poison Jab, Outrage and Brick Break.**_

"Whoa..." Ash awed as he looked at the Fighting Type. "A full set of 13 moves, and they're all really good ones." He could see just how powerful Primeape had become under the tutelage of Anthony.

"Yes, these are indeed very versatile moves," Oak agreed. "You've not only built up an arsenal of powerful attack moves, but also have a few moves to help you with defense and power ups. I can only imagine how you execute these moves with the training you've had."

"You're really one tough Pokémon, Primeape," Ash smiled as he patted him on the head. The Fighting Type snorted with pride as he thumped his belt. He then proceeded to snatch Ash's hat and place it on his head, making not just Ash laugh but Oak, Tracey and the other Pokémon as well as it reminded them of a certain other monkey Pokémon. Said Pokémon, however, didn't find this as amusing and she didn't hesitate to shoot an angry glare at the Fighting Type. Primeape noticed Aipom glaring at him, looked up at the hat in his head and soon put two and two together; he couldn't help but return Aipom's glare with a challenging smirk. In that instant, a rivalry was born.

Ash, of course, noticed nothing as he called all the Pokémon to gather as he wanted to praise them all for their hard work thus far in their training. "Everyone, you're doing great so far, and I know without any doubt that we're going to keep getting better. Now that Squirtle and Primeape are back with us, we can really start to break into tough training. Of course, today we'll still be finishing up what I've set you all to do in terms of attacks moves, but starting tomorrow we'll be kicking things up a notch. We're still waiting for one more Pokémon to show up..."

"CHHAAAAAAAARRRR!"

"And here he comes now!" Ash grinned as he, Oak and the Pokémon looked to the skies, their vision filled with a large draconic Pokémon descending from above, his roars filling the skies with the power he commanded. Many of Ash's older Pokémon called out in greeting at seeing their old friend, while his six newest Pokémon simply stood in awe at this new Pokémon-brother of theirs that they had yet to meet. Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Squirtle were the ones that yelled the loudest, being they knew this Pokémon best out of all the others present. It was almost like a reunion of the original six. Ash walked on ahead a bit, waving to his newly arrived partner and the final member of the team and family. "Hey, Charizard, great to seeaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAUUUUGGGHHHHHH!"

Sceptile, Swellow, Torkoal, Glalie, Corphish, Aipom and Primeape were quite shocked when the arriving Fire/Flying Type unleashed his usual greeting of a large Flamethrower towards their Trainer; from the chuckles of Tracey & Professor Oak and the unsurprised faces of the other Pokémon, they assumed this was something quite common. Within moments, Ash was a charred black, with a small little flame burning on an unfortunate strand of hair. As he let out a weak cough and tried to get the burns off, Ash's Charizard landed with a powerful thud in all of his power and pride, a toothy grin on his jaws and that blazing fire in his eyes. He let loose a powerful roar that shook the Ranch with his might.

"Well, some things never change," Oak laughed as he helped Ash clean himself up.

"Guess not," Ash agreed as he turned to his all-powerful Fire Type. "Great to see you again, buddy." Charizard growled his agreement as he gave the teen a clawed thumbs up. "Liza's been telling me you've been training really hard since our battle with Brandon. I know I kind of messed up back then, but I'm not letting any more mistakes like that happen again. Hopefully with your help and with us all working together again and training hard, we can all get even better than we are now. So what do you say, Charizard, you ready for some Ketchum style training again?"

"Char!" Charizard roared as he stretched his wings and unleashed a Flamethrower into the afternoon skies. He was definitely ready for whatever came his way. His valley may be an excellent training grounds, and his pack included some of the most powerful members of his species to train with (though at his current power levels, that wasn't saying much...), but training with his Trainer, the kid who never gave up on him, was something that just couldn't be replaced or changed for. Their intense training with Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Squirtle before their battle with Brandon was proof of that.

"Awesome!" Ash grinned. Before anything else, he quickly introduced Charizard to his newest Pokémon. The Flame Pokémon quickly reacquainted himself with his old teammates, congratulating Meganium on her evolution, and easily made friends with the newer additions to Ash's Pokémon; he also recognized Primeape and the two quickly hit it off. Charizard could sense the power behind the Fighting Type-not on his level but definitely quite powerful. He could also sense that the Hoenn Pokémon were also pretty strong, but Torkoal and Sceptile instantly caught his attention. Sceptile especially emitted a power level rivaling his own, and if the exchanged glares were anything to go by, another rivalry was being born, much to the amusement of Pikachu.

Oh, if those three only knew...

As Charizard reacquainted with the others, Ash took out his PokéDex and scanned the Kanto Starter.

_**Charizard, the Flame Pokémon and the evolved form of Charmeleon. It is said that Charizard's fire burns hotter if it has experienced harsh battles. If Charizard becomes furious, the flame at the tip of its tail flares up in a whitish-blue color. This Charizard is male and has the ability Blaze. Currently this Charizard knows the moves Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Seismic Toss, Dragonbreath, Steel Wing, Blast Burn, Flare Blitz, Overheat, Fly, Shadow Claw, Submission, Fire Spin and Mega Punch.**_

"Just like I figured, a full set of 13 moves," Ash mused as he looked on at his Pokémon. If he had known about this full arsenal, he could've breezed through his battle with Brandon…but also may never have realized Pikachu's full potential. Pikachu may have never reached the level of power he was at now if he had just stuck with Charizard. With a smile, he knelt down to pet the small powerhouse, and the Electric Type cooed affectionately from the action.

"Man, seeing Charizard again sure brings back memories from the Orange Islands," Tracey mused." He's only gotten stronger since then. I still remember how much trouble he gave you early on. It must've been a pain during your first year as a Trainer."

"Ah, that does bring back memories," Oak chuckled. "Charizard never listened to a word Ash said, even after the Plateau Conference that year when Team Rocket tried kidnapping Pikachu. Pidgeotto showed her true colors that day and even evolved into Pidgeot, though, so I guess it was all for the better. Still, Charizard was always a staple member of Ash's team then, and that should never change, especially with the bond they share. Well then, enough of that," the elderly man added as he figured it was time to get back to the matter at hand. "Ash, my boy, any plans to put into motion now that everyone is here?"

The Professor earned no response however. Confused, he, Tracey and Pikachu turned to look at the teen, only to be surprised that there was a look of realization, surprise, hurt and understanding on his face.

"Ash?" Tracey tried. "Are you ok?"

"Pikapi?" Pikachu attempted as he nudged Ash with a paw.

What they didn't realize was that at that very moment, a great deal of thoughts and emotions were going through Ash Ketchum's mind at that moment. He was being taken back to a day many years ago, and a promise he hadn't realized he had forgotten until now...with a friend he had all but forgotten, abandoned physically and mentally; a friend who had never questioned him or doubted or disobeyed him. A friend who was loyal to the bitter end since they first met, and was forever dedicated to protecting him and anyone else who needed it. A friend who he had promised he would return for...and never did. He had forgotten her very existence until Professor Oak said those few words.

"Ash, is something-Ash!" Oak yelled out in surprise as the teen suddenly ran off back towards the Lab. In surprise, he went after him, Pikachu joining the pursuit.

"Pikapi, Pika Pikachu Pika Chu Pi Pi Pi!" Pikachu cried out as he ran after his Trainer. Why was Ash acting like this?! He was really starting to get worried now, and now it wasn't just him; the other Pokémon saw their Trainer's random outburst and justifiably became worried, with Tracey trying to calm them down.

"I'll explain in a minute, Pikachu!" Ash reassured his Starter as he ran inside and headed off down the hall, dashing off to the PokéBall Storage & Transfer Room. Oak called after him, out of breath, but still couldn't figure out what was going on right now, or why Ash had headed off into the Lab. What in Arceus' name was the boy up to?! He received no answer, so he just dashed off as fast as he could to the Storage & Transfer Room. Upon entering, he was surprised to find the teen searching the walls that held the various PokéBalls of various Trainers that the Professor was responsible for.

"Where is it, where is it, where is it?!" Ash muttered to himself over and over as he went through the shelves, searching for a specific PokéBall section in particular. Finally, he found what he was looking for: the section where Professor Oak kept the PokéBalls of his Pokémon. "Ok, there's Bulbasaur's, Kingler's, here's Muk's...Snorlax'...yes! Found it!" he exclaimed as he grabbed one of the PokéBalls.

"Pi...Pika?" exclaimed Pikachu with a look of shock and surprise, by now having perched himself back onto Ash's shoulder. He remembered this PokéBall...

"Ash," Oak panted, slightly out of breath, "what's gotten into-?"

"Sorry, Professor, there's something I have to do," Ash called over his shoulder as he ran back out of the room and back out the building. "Tell my Pokémon I'll be back soon!" With that, he rushed off with Pikachu on his shoulders into the streets of Pallet Town, heading in the direction of Route 1.

"...well, that was odd," Oak muttered as he scratched his head in thought. "I wonder what's gotten into him..." Oak walked over to where he kept the Balls of Ash's Pokémon, looking at which one he had taken just now. Upon seeing the empty PokéBall spot, he blinked in surprise before slowly turning to the doorway that Ash had run out of, a smile creeping onto his face. He knew which PokéBall Ash had taken, and he knew what Pokémon it once held within. "Well, I sure was wondering when you would remember your old friend..."

* * *

><p><strong>XXX<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>*Route 1, two hours later*<strong>

Route 1.

This little stretch of Kanto land was home to many memories of Ash Ketchum. This was where he first almost died. It was where he and Pikachu first began their bonding that would lead to become like brothers, where he first met Misty, had his Pikachu barbeque a bike, saw his first Legendary, and when he first decided that he would always put his Pokémon before himself. But there was also another memory that had its basis here in Route 1, one that Ash couldn't believe that he had forgotten about after all these years. As much as he wanted to berate himself right now, he had other things to worry about. After four years, it was time to make well on his forgotten promise. He didn't know how he would do it, but one way or another, Ash Ketchum was going to somehow make it up to...

"PIDGEOT!"

"Pika Pika!"

"Pidgeot!" the teen yelled again at the top of his lungs, walking deeper and deeper into the woods and greenery as he called out for his old Pokémon. "Pidgeot, it's me! It's Ash! Where are you!?"

"Pikachu Pika Pika!" Pikachu yelled out as he stood on the top of Ash's hat.

"Man, we've been at this for almost two hours," the teen muttered as he walked along the path, his eyes scanning the trees and the skies. "This could all be a waste of time...Pidgeot might not even be here anymore...no, no I won't think like that. I told Pidgeot I'd come back here one day to get her back. She had to have stayed here to wait for me." Ash looked up into the skies again, seeing nothing but clouds and blue, the afternoon breeze nipping at his skin. "...right?"

"Pika..." Pikachu replied uncertainty. He knew Ash was right; even if Ash was finally making good on his promise, it'd been more than three years since they had seen Pidgeot here. For all they knew, the Flying type may have flown off with the flock to parts unknown and may never show up here again.

"Pidgeot!" Ash kept yelling out, continuing to walk and search. "Pidgeot, it's me-Ash! I know it's been a long time, but I came back for you! Pidgeot, where are you?!" No matter how loudly he called, though, the teen received no answer to his calls except for the sounds of the wind. "Nothing...she can't have just disappeared, she can't have. I said I would come back...but I didn't, and now...damn, I really messed up, huh Pikachu?" he muttered with a sigh as he let himself fall onto the grass in a clearing off the side of the path.

"Pikapi..." the Electric Type replied as he patted his Trainer's head.

"Thanks, buddy, but it doesn't really help," Ash sighed. Suddenly, however, an idea sparked in his brain, pun intended. "Hey, Pikachu, maybe we can try signaling to Pidgeot in the air with your Thunderbolt! If you shoot a really big one into the air, she's bound to see it, right?"

"Pika...Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. Jumping off Ash's head, he landed a few feet away from him and readied himself.

"Ok, then let's try it. Use Thunderbolt into the air, straight up!"

"Pikaaa...CHUUUUU!" A massive bolt of electricity instantly shot up and danced in the skies, as flashy and attention grabbing as the Mouse Pokémon could make it. At Ash's encouraging, he kept it up for a good amount of time as Ash called out even louder into the skies for Pidgeot. However, after more than ten minutes, still nothing had happened; no flock appeared, no Pidgeot, nothing.

"Ok, you can stop now, buddy," Ash said. Pikachu cut off the display of power, almost as upset as Ash was. Sure he missed his friend from three years ago, but Ash had broken his promise to her, and now as he tried his hardest to find her and make it up, it seemed he was now three years too late. "If she were here, she should've seen it by now," the teen muttered, trying to figure out why he couldn't find his second Pokémon at all. Then, a thought struck him, and it struck hard. "Unless...unless Pidgeot doesn't want to come and answer me...after thinking I've forgotten my promise after all these years." He looked back to the skies, thinking for a few seconds before once more shouting out, "Pidgeot! If you can hear me, I want you to know that I'm really sorry! I understand if you don't want to see me again, I know I messed up pretty bad! You're right, I forgot my promise, and for that I'm really sorry! But I promise you-and I mean it this time!-that I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you! Please, just give me one more chance! Pidgeot!"

And again, there was no answer.

"She's...she's really gone," Ash said softly as his head fell in defeat. "I messed up, and...now Pidgeot is gone." He felt a few tears in his eyes, and he quickly shut them, not wanting them to escape. "I guess I have no one to blame but myself, though, huh Pikachu?"

"Pikachu..." Pikachu said sadly as he jumped back onto Ash's head. "Pikapi, Pika Chupi Pikachu?"

"There's no point in staying here, I guess," the teen muttered as he began walking off, not paying attention to where he was going. "I messed up, but it won't help to just sit here and mope. I may have messed up with Pidgeot, but I won't mess up with the rest of my Pokémon. It's not too late for them. Let's go home, Pikachu." Ash felt terrible, but he knew that he had no one to blame but himself. His first Flying Type had trusted him to fulfill his promise, and yet he had forgotten about it and about her. He could imagine Pidgeot waiting day after day, hoping to see her Trainer again only to have her hopes dashed when she finally realized he had forgotten about her. If he could take it all back, he would, even if it cost him all his growth as a Trainer and person. He would work twice as hard now with his Pokémon, to make sure that there were no repeats of this, to make sure that this never-

"Pikapi! Pikapi!" Pikachu suddenly cried out, ears twitching, as he tapped his head. Ash looked up as his Starter with confusion, and Pikachu quickly pointed skyward. Ash followed his gesture and looked to the skies, at first not seeing anything. Squinting, though, he could just barely make out what Pikachu was trying to show him. High up in the skies was a massive flock flying in the direction of Mt. Silver, at least 400 of them: Pidgey whose numbers were too many to count, dozens and dozens of Pidgeotto and at least five dozen Pidgeot. Ash gasped in small hope. He also could barely see that at the head of the flock were five Pidgeot, with one of them considerably larger than the rest of the flock's Pidgeot. Maybe...just maybe...

"You think that-that could be...?"

"Pika Pikachu."

"Well, there's only one way to find out..." Ash decided as he raised his hands to his mouth. This was his last hope, and he really hoped that he could get just one last chance. This was it, and with that thought, Ash called out one last time, with all his might at the top of his lungs: "PIDGEOOOOOOT!"

And high up in the skies, the Pidgeot that led the entire flock suddenly stopped in mid-flight and turned her head towards the ground, the rest of her flock doing the same in surprise. A voice...she heard a human voice, barely, and it sounded familiar. A flash of recognition came to her mind and her Keen Eye ability allowed her to quickly scan the ground far below and make out the figure of a young human boy with a Pikachu...and clothes very similar...wait. Pidgeot's eyes widened with realization_. 'That voice,_' she wondered, _'...and the similarity of the clothes and the Pikachu...could it be-?'_

"PIDGEOT!" Ash yelled out even more as he jumped up & down while waving his arms, seeing that the flock had stopped. "PIDGEOT, IT'S ME, ASH!"

_'Ash...Arceus, it really IS him!'_ the Bird Pokémon realized with pure joy. With a joyous cry of "PIDGEOT GEOT!" the Flying Type raced to the ground at a speed that shocked her Trainer and rendered him in awe. Within seconds, Pidgeot had landed on the ground, her majestic form now clearly visible to Ash, feathers, crest and all. The teen stood there silent for just a moment before a huge grin appeared on his face and he jumped at Pidgeot and gave her a hug, feeling a warmth he hadn't felt in years as he happily held his very first Flying Type, who responded in full by wrapping her wing lovingly around him as she cooed in happiness. Pikachu also showed how happy he was to see his old friend again by jumping onto her head.

"_It's great to see you again, Pidgeot,"_ Pikachu said with a large grin.

"_Same to you, Pikachu,"_ Pidgeot smiled (?) back. _"I've really missed you guys."_

"Pidgeot, it's so good to see you again after all these years," Ash said, a couple of tears slowly trickling down his cheek. "You're a lot bigger than I remember. You've really done well for yourself; the flock is huge, and there are even a lot of Pidgeot, too! You've really taken good care of them, haven't you?"

"Pidgeot," the Bird Pokémon cawed with pride. It was true: the average Pidgeot was 4'11', which was around the size she was at her evolution, but she was now more than six feet in height and just by looking at her one could see how powerful she was. Living in the wild and in constant battle with the Spearow & Fearow flock had made her quite the powerhouse. And Pidgeot had molded her flock in a similar fashion.

"That's great, girl, you've come a long way," Ash said with a smile. It didn't last long, though, as he broke the embrace and took a step back. He still knew he had a lot to answer for. "Pidgeot, I'm so sorry that I've kept you waiting for so long for me to come back. I know I said I'd come back for you after I came back from the Orange Islands, but then I got so into my journey...I have no excuse, and I know I basically forgot you and the promise I made. But I came back, and I want to make it up to you. Pidgeot, in a month I'll be heading off on a brand new journey to a region called Sinnoh, and you know I'll be competing in their League. All my Pokémon and I are getting ready, and I was hoping that if you forgive me, that'd you want to come back with me and do it together with the rest of us. What do you say, girl?"

Pidgeot stared at her Trainer for a while. It was true that after about two years she had begun to lose hope that she'd ever see Ash again, but the hope still remained because she had faith in him. Despite all her commitment to her flock, she knew she would return to Ash the day he came back. And now, here he was with that very offer. She could see how guilty he was for forgetting her, and though it did indeed hurt he was still her Trainer and she still loved him. She always had her answer to his offer. With a turn of her head, she let loose a massive cry to the skies, and in only a minute the entire flock descended to where she and Ash were. The teen was marveled when he saw the flock from the skies but he was even more awed when he saw them up close. There were just so many of them: Pidgey, Pidgeotto and Pidgeot. A very stark contrast to the flock he met years ago.

"_My friends," _Pidgeot addressed to her flock, _"the day has come at last when I leave you all. To those who have been with me since that day years ago, you've grown so much and I'm proud to have called myself a member of this flock. Arceus be with you all, and may we cross paths again one day."_ The flock responded with joy for their leader, sad to see her leave but joyous for all she had done for them and for her reunion with her Trainer. The Flying Type turned back to Ash and nodded her affirmative.

"So that's a yes?" Ash asked with joy, to with Pidgeot also nodded in joy. Ash smiled, but also remembered something in that moment. "Your flock will be ok the next time that Fearow and its flock return?" Pidgeot knew that her flock would be ok, but she didn't really know how to tell him. It wasn't like he could understand her that well, after all...unless...

Ash then saw Pidgeot and Pikachu going deep into conversation, a conversation he couldn't understand since...well, PokéSpeech wasn't exactly a highly demanded class in Trainer School. Pikachu soon then jumped off Pidgeot's head and began speaking to him, gesturing with his hands & body, emphasizing certain aspects of his speech that he knew Ash understood. Being Pikachu was Ash's Starter, the teen had grown to understand him better over the years; sure sometimes there were things he didn't understand, but he usually got the gist of it, like he did now.

"So...the Fearow that led the flock was actually caught by a Trainer just a few weeks ago? And since then the rest of the Spearow and Fearow have left the area completely?" Pikachu and Pidgeot nodded. "Well, I guess that makes things better for the flock then." Ash then shuddered slightly and added, "Though I really feel sorry for the poor guy that caught THAT Fearow...Well anyways, Pidgeot, I'm really glad that you're coming back, and don't worry," he said as he looked to the massive flock, "I'll take good care of her, count on that."

The flock chirped and cawed their replies and soon began flying off into the skies again, to look for new skies to soar. Pidgeot had done well for them, and the flock knew that they could now survive without her. Ash, Pikachu and Pidgeot waved and shouted their goodbyes. Soon, the flock was just a mere speck in the sky. Pidgeot knew that they would be ok.

"Alright, I guess it's time to head back home," Ash said as he took out Pidgeot's PokéBall. "You're going to meet some great new Pokémon, pal, and the ones you knew from before will be thrilled to see you again. You ready?" Pidgeot chirped with a nod. "Then welcome back home...Pidgeot, return!" And with a quick red beam of light, the Bird Pokémon was sucked back into her old Ball. "Just like old times, buddy," Ash told Pikachu, who jumped back onto his shoulder. "C'mon, let's head on...home...uh..."

"Pika?" Pikachu asked in concern before he realized it. _'Oh no, please don't tell me...'_

"Where are we?" Ash said, looking around. "I can't see the path! When did we even get off it!?"

_'For the love of Arceus...'_

"Wait, Pidgeot can fly us back!" Ash said as he again pulled out her PokéBall. Pidgeot was quite surprised to be back out so soon, and she saw that they were still in the same spot as before. She looked at her Trainer inquisitively. "Hey Pidgeot," Ash said with an embarrassed chuckle, "you mind flying us back to Pallet Town? We're kind of...lost."

Pidgeot blinked before she hung her head in exasperation. _'Same old Ash...'_

Some things never changed...

* * *

><p><strong>XXX<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>*Oak Ranch, minutes later...*<strong>

"Look out below!"

"Hmmm, what-OH MY LORD!" Professor Oak exclaimed in shock as he, Tracey and all of Ash's Pokémon quickly moved out of the way to make room for Pidgeot to land. The Flying Type let out a shrill yet majestic cry as she touched down, allowing Ash and Pikachu to slide off her back.

"That...was AWESOME!" Ash exclaimed in sheer joy. "It was even better than the first time we did that!" Pikachu agreed with his own grin, having forgotten what it was like to fly in the skies on the back of a Flying Type.

"Well, it seems you found Pidgeot after all," Oak laughed as he approached the trio, the rest of the Pokémon also joining them. "Tracey and I were starting to get worried that it was a lost cause."

"I thought so too, but the flock just happened to fly overhead when I was just ready to come back, and well, you know the rest," the teen grinned as he and Pikachu came on over to the rest of the team. "Ok, gang, I want you all to meet another friend of ours. Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Squirtle, Primeape, Muk, Kingler and the Tauros already know her, but for everyone else...this is the second Pokémon I ever caught, Pidgeot."

"Pidgeot Geot," Pidgeot greeted, waving her wing. Immediately, the previously mentioned Pokémon, even all the Tauros, approached her and welcomed her back to the team while the rest of Ash's Pokémon introduced themselves to the Flying Type, with Pidgeot easily making friends with them all. Noctowl and Swellow, however, couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated in her presence; they could sense the immense power that was within her. Pidgeot meanwhile was impressed by the Pokémon that Ash had, and how far her old friends had come in the years since they last saw each other. Although, something was off...she didn't see Charizard anywhere...

"Pidgeot, before I forget," Ash said, interrupting her thoughts as he approached her. "I want to scan your moveset with my PokéDex so I can see just what you can do." Pidgeot chirped her ok, and couldn't help but feel a bit prideful of what she could offer her Trainer in terms of moves. She was quite powerful after all, if she did say so herself.

_**Pidgeot, the Bird Pokémon and the evolved form of Pidgeotto. By flapping its wing with all its might, Pidgeot can make a gust of wind capable of bending tall trees, thanks to its well-developed chest muscles. Pidgeot can fly at top speeds of Mach 2. This Pidgeot is female and has the ability Keen Eye. Currently, this Pidgeot knows the moves Brave Bird, Steel Wing, Aerial Ace, Twister, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Quick Attack, Giga Impact, Feather Dance, Heat Wave, Double Team, Mirror Move and Agility.**_

"A full moveset," Ash marveled as he petted the Bird Pokémon's wings. "I shouldn't be surprised, though, since you've been battling that Fearow all these years. These are some great moves you have, girl."

"Yes, quite powerful," Oak agreed. "A life in the wild certainly helped you adapt and hone your skills, and these moves are a testament to that." Pidgeot couldn't help but puff her chest in pride. Noctowl and Swellow instantly saw that they had quite a bit of catching up to do.

Now that Ash knew that everyone was at last back together, he began to start their training session again, but stopped only moments later. Something was wrong…two of his Pokémon were missing. "Professor Oak, Tracey...where are Charizard and Sceptile?"

Professor Oak suddenly became a bit fidgety, while Tracey laughed nervously. "Charizard and Sceptile?" he repeated.

"Yeah, where are they?"

"Oh, they're around...getting to know each other better...sparring...battling...over there."

...

...

Ash blinked. "Wait...where?"

"Over there," Tracey repeated.

...

"Tracey...you're pointing to the sky."

"I know."

"Charizard used Seismic Toss," Oak explained, looking up to the sky. "And Sceptile managed to break free from it up there. Speaking of which, you may want to take a few steps back.

"...why?"

**FRAKAKAKABOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!**

"That's why," Oak yelled out as they ground suddenly as something impacted a few meters away from the group, greatly shocking them all. Dust clouds of earth and grass spewed into the air, and roars were heard as Charizard and Sceptile emerged from the crater they had created, engaged in a battle of strength and pride as Shadow Claws and Leaf Blades were exchanged. "From what I could understand," Oak continued, "Charizard and Sceptile looked like they were sizing each other up, they apparently said something to each other and...well, this happened."

"I think they're trying to see who your strongest Pokémon is," Tracey offered.

"Well, that's great," Ash deadpanned as he watched Sceptile crash into the ground thanks to the glowing white fist of Charizard's Mega Punch. "Well...I guess this helps me see how Sceptile stands in terms of power..." Charizard then unleashed a powerful jet of green flames, to which Sceptile made to counter with a Leaf Blade, but instead he sliced the Dragonbreath attack down the middle with a claw glowing with turquoise energy. "And...at least he finally mastered Dragon Claw... I guess he just needed the right motivation..?"

"Pika Pika..." Pikachu sighed from his place on Ash's shoulder, watching Sceptile retaliate with a Pound right in Charizard's face.

Pidgeot, meanwhile, sweat dropped at the sight of the battle before her and went over to Bulbasaur and Squirtle. _"So...I'm assuming Charizard is still a disobedient and arrogant jack-ass."_

"_Oh no, he's mellowed out over the years,"_ Bulbasaur replied. _"He listens to Ash now, too. Now he's just...well...an arrogant jack-ass."_

"_Yep, that pretty much sums it up,"_ Squirtle agreed.

"Alright, both of you cut it out!" Ash yelled out as he came over to the two battling Starters, both in the process of unleashing Overheat and Solarbeam. "I get that you want to test each other's strengths but doing it like this isn't how you go about it, trying to figure out who's my strongest Pokémon!" The two Pokémon looked at their Trainer, looked back at each other and reluctantly powered down their attacks. This didn't stop them from glaring at each other, silently telling each other that they would continue this.

"Pika Pikachu Pi!" Pikachu added. "Pika Pi Pi Ka Chupi Pipi Chu Pikapi Pika Pikachu!" This immediately made Charizard and Sceptile turn towards Pikachu and glare at him, with the Electric Type returning the glare with a smirk. Ash sighed with a face palm; though he didn't fully understand Pikachu at times, he could easily guess what he had just said based on the three Pokémon's facial expressions: "Besides, it's obvious that Ash's strongest Pokémon is clearly me!"

"You're not helping, Pikachu," he muttered as he motioned for Sceptile and Charizard to come and meet/welcome Pidgeot. Ash could now see that there was a fierce rivalry now developing between Charizard, Pikachu and Sceptile about who was his most powerful Pokémon. Though Ash understood that some friendly rivalry was a good thing, he had a feeling that this was going to be taken to the next level. He was suddenly feeling very sorry for Torkoal and hoped he wasn't dragged into this, and that the rest of his Pokémon didn't start other rivalries or anything. Of course, he still had no idea about the one already in play between Primeape and Aipom.

...well, it was definitely going to be an interesting month of training, to say the least, Professor Oak mused as he watched everything with some amusement.

* * *

><p><strong>XXX<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>*Ketchum Residence, that night...*<strong>

"Mom, I'm home," Ash called out as he and Pikachu walked into the house, both exhausted beyond words. Despite the obstacles that had presented themselves, Ash could say that today was a success in his book. He was reunited with all of his Pokémon at last, and they were all a big team once more. Many of them had been successful in learning what they had been given to accomplish today, and others were now extremely close. But the fact that Pidgeot and Primeape were with him once again was what really mattered to him. The time for games was over now, and now that the band was back together, Ash had the feeling that great things were going to happen. If today was any indication, then all that being tired would be worth it in the end.

"I'm in the den, honey," Delia called out from the living room. "Come over here, someone wants to say hi to you!"

"Hmm, wonder who?" Ash wondered as he looked at Pikachu, who shrugged his shoulders in uncertainty. They were pleasantly surprised, though, when they came over and saw Delia on the house video phone along with a very good friend on the screen. Scratch that-practically a brother to Ash. "Hey, Brock!" Ash grinned as he joined his mother. "Great to see you again!"

"Same here, Ash," Brock Slate replied with his own grin. "And good to see you too, Pikachu."

"Pika Pikachu!"

"See, since you wanted to learn how to cook, I called Brock for some recipes for some of the foods he's made that you've had over the years and enjoyed," Delia explained.

"Of course it'll never be as great as your mom's cooking," the older young man chuckled. "But anyways, Ash, your mom told me about your plans for Sinnoh and for the next month, and I want to say I'm happy to help you in any way I can. It's definitely great that you're ready to head out into the world on your own; you've really come a long way after all this time. As your best friend, I'm proud of you, and you can definitely be sure that when you head on out to Sinnoh that I'll be there to cheer you on."

"Thanks, Brock, that really means a lot," the younger teen replied with a smile. "A lot of what I've done and the skills I've earned so far definitely wouldn't be possible without you there helping me along the way, so thank you for all you've done. I won't let you down, Brocko."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. And if he did, the small powerhouse would be there to shock some sense into him if necessary.

"Alright, I'll leave you two to catch up for a bit while I get dinner ready," Delia smiled as she headed off to the kitchen. "After dinner, we start your cooking lessons, Ash."

"Alright, Mom," Ash replied. He and Brock then started talking about everything that had been going on for them the last few days. Brock was greatly surprised that Ash had called Primeape back into action and even more surprised when Ash recalled how Pidgeot had returned. The young man was impressed and proud that Ash was finally getting his game together and recognizing where he was failing, doing what he could to fix it. Ash was also impressed that Brock was also working harder than ever towards his goal to be a Pokémon Breeder, having entered a few courses from the Pokémon League and even working with the Pewter City Nurse Joy to help improve his skills. Brock also mentioned he would possibly start traveling again to different day cares for further improvement. The two best friends would be lying if they weren't proud of the other's accomplishments thus far.

"So, now that the gang's back together, I can imagine you already have a game plan, right?" Brock asked.

"Yep, Professor Oak helped me out with a few ideas, but there's definitely a game plan," Ash replied. "So Brock, could you also help me out with making Pokémon food? My Pokémon always loved it and I don't think they'd ever want something else to replace it after so long."

"Sure, I can definitely help with that, and I'll also teach you about berries and other natural foods. Though, with Primeape I have to say you'll be on your own. I still can't believe that he's back with you after so long."

"Yeah, but Primeape hasn't held it against me, which I should be lucky for, now that I think about it. Anthony really did a good job with him, and I couldn't have asked for someone better to take care of him."

"He and Rebecca were good people...and no doubt that after all these years, Rebecca is even more beautiful than before," Brock sighed happily as hearts appeared over his eyes.

"Yeah she definitely his," Ash replied with a smile without realizing, something Brock quickly noticed.

"Ah, look at you, all grown up and thinking about girls," he slyly teased, making Ash blush and fidget to his amusement. Despite the humor in the moment, Brock remembered that though Ash had matured a good bit over the last two years and was handling the changes he was going through better than he'd initially thought for a travelling male with no parents guiding him on the road, there were still...aspects that Brock knew he himself wasn't the right person to speak to Ash about. Since the younger teen was already going through a few changes he was implementing, this was the perfect time to get this settled. Inwardly, he apologized to Ash for what he was about to do, but it was just the way of life. 'This is for your own good, Ash.'

"Alright Ash, it was great talking to you again, but I have to go; I still have to make dinner for my brothers and sisters. I need to speak to your mom about one last thing, though, so could you put her on, please?"

"Sure no problem. See you later, Brock," Ash said in farewell before calling his mother back over. He and Pikachu exchanged a few more words of farewell before Delia returned and took over. Ash and Pikachu headed to the kitchen, the former wanting to get a feel of the place where he would be working tirelessly to feed himself and his Pokémon. He really had depended on Brock for the last four years, but that was going to be changing starting now. If he really wanted to be a good Trainer and a true Pokémon Master, he had to be able to take care of the Pokémon in his care. Sure, he was a walking cooking disaster at best for now, but he was determined to get it right and succeed.

"Ok, mom, so what are we going to be starting with for my lesson?" Ash asked as Delia walked back into the kitchen. However, he got no answer and he and Pikachu were surprised to see a neutral expression on the older woman's face. "Mom, are you ok?"

"Oh no, I'm fine," Delia replied as she sat down at the table, motioning for Ash to join her. "I've decided that we'll start your cooking lessons tomorrow; there's something a bit more important we need to talk about. Pikachu," she added to the Electric Type, "I'll have to ask you to leave; this is a mother and son discussion."

"Pika? Pika Pikachu," Pikachu shrugged as he jumped off the table and headed off towards Ash's room to await him.

"Ok, Ash," Delia continued, her son still a bit confused. "You've grown into a fine young man these last four years, and you're maturing quite well, but you're still going through many changes as of recent because you're growing. Some of these changes...well, they're going to start becoming more and more noticeable, and because of that...and the fact that I have no idea where your father is right now to have him do this himself...it's time you and I have a talk."

Ash was starting to feel a bit uneasy. "What kind of talk?"

"THE talk."

THE talk? Ash had no idea what that meant. Was it something to do with his journey or his growing up?

Oh if only he knew.

It was with a rattled mind and soul that Ash Ketchum went to bed that night, much to Pikachu's confusion.

* * *

><p><em><strong>XXXXX-AN-XXXXX**_

_**Ok, hopefully that was a better edited version of the chapter.**_

_**Alright, we now have Charizard, Squirtle, Pidgeot and Primeape back in the game; a couple of rivalries going on and some more good stuff. As always, please leave a review and whatnot, constructive criticism, etc... All flames are ignored.**_

_**Now, time to address some things that are being asked of me, that keep getting brought up, even demanded, etc etc...**_

_**1) Ash is keeping all of his Tauros. This is final & not negotiable, end of story. This was an idea that I came up with for my future Advanceshipping story and I decided to incorporate it here also. I've been told over and over that trading some is a better way to go but sorry, I'm not having it. This is a unique trait of my story, since trading them is overdone. Besides, Ash isn't the type to trade away his Pokémon, shown with Butterfree & (surprise) Tauros. The only exception was Aipom because she ultimately didn't fit his battle style, which Tauros does.**_

_**2) Some of you may have noticed that when I confirmed new Pokémon for Ash, I didn't ask for any opinions as to what he should catch. Of course, a number of you went ahead anyways and gave me your suggestions. Ash's additional Sinnoh catches, however, were already decided when this story first started. I'm that kind of guy, yes. No other additions are being made since the number of extra Pokémon I have given him might be a bit...excessive.**_

_**3) Unlike with Ash, I did ask for some suggestions for Dawn's new catches...and only like 3 people gave some. Plus, I also came up with some ideas that people definitely wouldn't expect. So going with that and working with what people gave me, Dawn's catches have also been finalized.**_

_**4) Canon Ash is an idiot in the field of romance. If he did age like he should be, like he is here as a 14 & 15 year-old, he'd be at least be somewhat versed in it. He'd be going through puberty about now, but despite that he's still in unfamiliar territory, especially as how I'll be sticking close to Ash's character while still adjusting it to the maturity and growth of a 14/15 year-old. This goes for a bit the same for Dawn; being a girl (girls mature quicker than boys during growth) she has at least a somewhat basic understanding of love & romance. Of course, she's still only 14 so she is still rather inexperienced with the real thing. She may have had an occasional crush prior to her journey, but that's hardly much. Both Ash & Dawn will be dealing with an experience unfamiliar to them in terms of Pearlshipping as they explore their feelings & relationship. This is all to make the shipping as believable as possible given the mentality and character of the two, their (in)experience, their actual aging and the world in which they live in. That being said, THERE WILL NOT BE ANY LEMON SCENES. This is something I will not budge on.**_

_**5) DawnForever101 asked me if I plan to evolve Pikachu. This is something I have thought about again and again. I'm the kind of guy who would go either way with that: I love seeing Pikachu as he is but I also like Raichu. I can see why the anime never evolved him, and the reason of Pikachu wanting to get stronger without evolving made sense...but he's beaten a Legendary, and you can't really get much stronger than that, right? So, I would not mind evolving Pikachu here; in fact, I'd really like to. The problem here is coming up with a good enough reason and scenario to have him want to evolve and make it believable for the story's sake. It's a work in progress. If anyone has a suggestion as to how to make it work, I'm all ears.**_

_**6) There's a sickness that all FanFic writers endure everyday: real life. It has no cure and can't be stopped. It's what keeps us off a consistent update schedule. We have jobs, school, classes, responsibilities and the like. I am no different, and I also have around 14 ongoing stories besides this, with two more on the way. I have no update schedule; I tried that before and...just, no. So to those who continuously bother me for updates, I kindly ask you all to shut up and patiently wait for the updates as they come.**_

_**7) EDITED: I'm of the belief that a plot that is rushed & with no concrete planning, foundation or preparation and is all over the place is what breaks a story. I also know a story that goes on and on becomes a drag and a bore. Thanks to some helpful advice from fellow writer 0 Jordinio 0, I've not only changed this chapter a bunch but also redid the plans for the next couple of chapters. The next chapter will now GENERALLY cover the entire month of training and preparation, and Ash's 15th birthday & last night in Pallet Town, then the morning where he leaves and gets Larvitar (yes, Larvitar is coming back!). Chapter 5 will be when the adventure really begins, starting with getting the Legendary I've chosen, with Ash arriving in Sinnoh. Hopefully this isn't as slow paced as it was before.**_

_**8) No one brought this up, but I feel I should address it. Thanks to the banned Safari Zone episode, we all know that guns do indeed exist in the Pokémon world. That being said, though not on the scale that fellow writer MothBallz handles it, I will be doing a more realistic take on the Pokémon World, especially in terms of criminal organizations and such. That being said, J's Syndicate will have a bit of a larger role, and both her organization and Galactic will have actual firearms and similar weaponry. This will also be the case for Pokémon Rangers.**_

_**Alright, that's my time. Again, review and critique, my fellow readers. I shall see you in the next chapter, so until next time, readers.**_


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